UN Seek To Calm West African Nations As Ebola Virus Spreads Across Africa

The World Health Organization has confirmed 759 suspected cases of the haemorrhagic fever in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with 467 people dead. The new death toll which represented a rise of 129, or 38% since the United Nations agency’s last bulletin given just a week ago.

“This makes the ongoing Ebola outbreak the largest in terms of the number of cases and deaths as well as geographical spread,” the WHO said in a statement announcing a two-day conference in Ghana to be attended by 11 West African health ministers. “Decisions taken at this meeting will be critical in addressing the current and future outbreaks,” it said.
Since West Africa’s first ever epidemic of the deadly and highly contagious fever broke out in Guinea in January, the WHO has sent in more than 150 experts to help tackle the regional crisis. Despite the efforts of the UN agency and other health workers, there has been a “significant increase” in the rate of new cases and deaths in recent weeks, the WHO said.
Medical charity Doctor, Without Borders (MSF) said last week that the spread of the virus, which has had a mortality rate of up to 90 percent in previous outbreaks, was “out of control”, with more than 60 outbreak hotspots. The agency has warned that Ebola could spread to other countries, warning those hardest hit could struggle to contain the disease.
Pierre Formenti, WHO top Ebola specialist warn that the latest surge in Ebola outbreak is as a result of slow effort in tackling the virus.“One case can restart an entire epidemic,” he warned, justifying the dramatic measures taken to contain Ebola, which is spread via bodily fluids including sweat, meaning just touching an infected person is enough to spread the virus.
Ministers from Guinea, where 413 confirmed, suspected and probable cases have surfaced so far including 303 deaths, and Liberia, which has seen 107 cases and 65 deaths, will take part in the meeting.
Sierra Leone, which has recorded 239 cases and 99 deaths, will also be represented at the conference.
In addition, officials from Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, along with Ghana and countries as far afield as Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been invited, the WHO said.
They will be joined by a host of UN agencies and other aid organizations including MSF and the Red Cross, as well as personnel from disease control centers in western Africa, the United States, Britain and the European Union.