WHO official says global outbreak risk is low, describes support and evacuations from Cabo Verde

An Agency official with the World Health Organization said the risk of a global outbreak is low and described WHO assistance to Cabo Verde, including lab testing support and an international evacuation.

"The World Health Organization is, judging that the risk of a global, outbreak is low," the official said, adding, "we know what kind of virus this is about and how it's transmitted." The official attributed the low global-risk assessment to that understanding of the virus and its transmission.

The speaker said WHO teams "have been working shoulder to shoulder with the public health and health services here in Cabo Verde, and planning the acute response," and that WHO has provided "laboratory testing equipment, financial and technical support from the beginning." Those items were presented as the principal forms of WHO assistance on the ground.

The official also described a recent evacuation operation: "Today was a special day because finally we managed to support the evacuation of 3 symptomatic people, or 2 symptomatic people and 1 close contact, and they were safely taken by plane to The Netherlands." The statement in the transcript leaves unclear whether the evacuees were three symptomatic patients or two symptomatic patients plus one close contact; the official did not clarify the exact composition or provide additional identifying details.

No dates, patient conditions beyond the description "symptomatic," or follow-up clinical details were given in the remarks. The official did not cite specific statutes, agreements, or funding figures tied to the support. The briefing focused on WHO’s assessment and operational support rather than local clinical or legal details.

The WHO official’s remarks indicate ongoing international cooperation on testing and logistics; the official did not announce additional policy decisions or provide a timetable for further actions.