The World Health Organisation says the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is spreading faster than the efforts to control it.
WHO Head, Margaret Chan, told a summit of regional leaders of the worst-affected countries – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone that failure to contain Ebola could be “catastrophic” in terms of lives lost.
She said the virus, which has claimed 729 lives in four West African countries since February, could be stopped if well managed and that Ebola kills up to 90 per cent of those infected.
It spreads by contact with infected blood, bodily fluids, organs – or contaminated environments but that patients have a better chance of survival if they receive early treatment.
Reports say initial flu-like symptoms can lead to external haemorrhaging from areas like eyes and gums, and internal bleeding which can lead to organ failure.
The WHO also announced that it would gather around $100m from donor agencies across the globe to combat the deadly Ebola virus.
The global health body had reported some 57 new within the past week in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, bringing the total death toll to 729. It further said the number of Ebola cases had topped 1,300.
“The scale of the Ebola outbreak, and the persistent threat it poses, requires WHO and Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to take the response to a new level, and this will require increased resources,” WHO Director General, Margaret Chan said.
Chan said the $100m Ebola response plan would include funding for the deployment of hundreds more health care workers to affected countries.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone’s President, Ernest Bai Koroma, on his part announced a series of emergency strategies taken to tackle the killer disease.
Liberian leader, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had ordered the closure of all public schools and other prominent places as parts of efforts to curtail the spread of the virus. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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