The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a 'public health emergency of international concern' (PHEIC). This declaration was made following the discovery of a case in Goma, a major city near the Rwandan border, and the death of a woman in Uganda linked to the outbreak. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for international support and funding to combat the outbreak and prevent its spread. The WHO has been conducting extensive Ebola virus screenings and is advocating for the continued use of the experimental vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV, produced by Merck, while also considering the introduction of other vaccines. The Congolese Minister of Health has expressed openness to proposals from experimental vaccine producers but has prohibited the use of any vaccine other than rVSV-ZEBOV in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.

Patrick Abega reports on the critical situation of malnutrition in Kwango, Western DRC, where World Vision's Southern African Regional Leader, Mark Kelly, visited to assess the situation and provide aid. The region has been affected by inter-communal conflict, leading to displacement and worsening malnutrition among children. World Vision is implementing the Global Hunger Response (GHR) to provide food aid, nutritional support, and other essential services. The organization has also facilitated access to arable land for vulnerable families to grow food, addressing both immediate and long-term needs. Mark Kelly emphasized the importance of nutrition for children's physical and brain development and noted the success of the Positive-Deviance-Hearth project in treating malnourished children.

Dr Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, a Congolese microbiologist, has dedicated over 40 years to combating Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He is now head of a national committee of experts and has played a significant role in the development of new treatments for Ebola, such as mAb114, which he helped design. The article discusses the effectiveness of two new treatments, REGN-EB3 and mAb114, and Muyembe-Tamfum's contribution to the field. It also touches on the challenges of treating Ebola, including the persistence of the virus in body fluids like sperm. Additionally, Muyembe-Tamfum has advocated for the introduction of a second vaccine, the Johnson & Johnson MVA-BN. For his work, the Japanese government awarded him the Hideyo Noguchi 2019 Award for Africa. The article is based on an interview with Muyembe-Tamfum by SciDev.Net correspondent Patrick Abega.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has initiated mediation between stakeholders in the political crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, focusing on the implementation of the Saint Sylvester agreement. This new attempt to resolve the crisis follows President Joseph Kabila's appointment of a new Prime Minister, Bruno Tshibala, which the opposition Rally calls non-compliant with the spirit of the December 31 agreement. The SADC delegation, led by Tanzanian Foreign Minister Augustine Mahiga, is meeting with both the government and opposition in Kinshasa. The African Union delegation is also expected to arrive in Kinshasa to assess the political and security crisis and work towards the full implementation of the agreement.