Giving Compass' Take:

· According to the World Health Organization, outbreaks of deadly diseases like Ebola are predicted to become the new normal due to many changes happening in the environment and society.

· What are some factors that raise concern for disease outbreaks? What has led to the increasing dangers of diseases? What can be done to limit the spread of these diseases and help those impacted by them?

· Here's more on the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and why it may become even worse.


The world is entering "a new phase" where big outbreaks of deadly diseases like Ebola are a "new normal", the World Health Organization has warned.

Previous Ebola outbreaks affected relatively small numbers of people.

But the Democratic Republic of Congo is dealing with the second largest outbreak ever, just three years after the world's largest one ended.

The WHO said countries and other bodies needed to focus on preparing for new deadly epidemics.

There have been 2,025 cases of Ebola and 1,357 deaths from the virus during the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The largest outbreak, in West Africa in 2014-16 affected 28,616 people mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. There were 11,310 deaths.

Yet the 12 outbreaks between 2000 and 2010 averaged fewer than 100 cases.

So why are modern outbreaks so much bigger?

Read the full article about increasing outbreaks of diseases like Ebola by James Gallagher at BBC News.