U.N.
to set up Ebola crisis center, aims to stop spread in six to nine months
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[September 06, 2014]
By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United
Nations plans to set up an Ebola crisis center to coordinate the
response to the deadly virus and to strive to halt its spread in West
African countries in six to nine months, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
announced on Friday.
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Ban called on the international community to provide $600 million
needed for supplies in West Africa, where more than 3,500 confirmed
or probable cases of the hemorrhagic fever have been reported and
more than 1,900 people have died since March.
"The number of cases is rising exponentially. The disease is
spreading far faster than the response. People are increasingly
frustrated that it is not being controlled," Ban told reporters.
"The goal is to stop Ebola transmission in affected countries within
six to nine months, and to prevent the international spread of the
virus," he said. "This can be done only if the urgent and necessary
mobilization is done both in the affected countries and by the
international community."
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Countries affected by the epidemic include Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria,
Senegal and Sierra Leone. An outbreak in the Democratic Republic of
Congo is unrelated to and independent of the West African epidemic,
the World Health Organization has said.
It is the worst outbreak since the virus was discovered in 1976 near
the Ebola River in what is now Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO
has said casualty figures may be up to four times higher than
reported, and that up to 20,000 people may be affected before the
outbreak ends.
"We need contributions - people, material and funding - from
governments, the private sector, financial institutions,
non-governmental organizations and other groups at the grass roots,"
said Ban after meeting with heads of U.N. agencies on the issue.
"We agreed to establish an Ebola crisis center to bring synergy and
efficiency to the efforts of these many partners within and beyond
the United Nations," he said.
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Ebola can only be transmitted by contact with the bodily fluids of a
sick person, but rigorous measures are required for its containment.
There is no proven cure, though work on experimental vaccines has
been accelerated.
Ban urged airlines and shipping companies not to cancel flights and
docking in the affected countries. Shortages of basic goods, food
and medical equipment have been worsened by a decision by some
airlines to stop flying to the worst-hit countries
"Banning flights and shipping services will not keep Ebola from
spreading, but it will keep medical teams from reaching people most
in need," he said. "Stigma and rumor can do just as much damage as
the virus itself. It is crucial to remember that Ebola can be
avoided and controlled."
(Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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