Ebola: how worried should the world be?

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization.

The latest outbreak involves a rare species of Ebola for which there is no vaccine, and the epicentre is in an area affected by conflict. The WHO says the outbreak may be spreading faster than originally thought.

James Gallagher, the BBC’s health and science correspondent, explains why this outbreak is in some ways more worrying than previous ones, and discusses what it might reveal about global preparedness for international health emergencies.

Producers: Viv Jones, Xandra Ellin, Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Red Cross workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere)