U.S. President Barack
Obama on Thursday called on more nations to help fight the
world's worst outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, saying
hundreds of thousands of lives were at stake.
The warning came shortly after the World Health Organisation gave a rare hint of optimism in the West African crisis, announcing that the spread of the disease in Guinea appeared to have stabilised.
Sierra Leone put three more districts home to over a million people and major mining operations -- under indefinite quarantine.
An outbreak that began in a remote corner of Guinea has taken hold of much of neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone, killing nearly 3,000 people in just over six months. Senegal and Nigeria have recorded cases but, for now, contained the spread of Ebola.
"More nations need to contribute critical assets and capabilities -- whether it's air transport, medical evacuation, health care workers, equipment or treatment," Obama told a meeting on Ebola on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
"If unchecked, this epidemic could kill hundreds of thousands of people in the coming months."
Weak health systems have been overrun by one of the deadliest diseases, and reliable information on its spread is scarce.
But most experts warn that the number of cases recorded so far represents a fraction of the true total, with many victims unable or unwilling to come forward for treatment.
WHO said earlier this week the total number of infections could reach 20,000 by November, months earlier than previously forecast.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned between 550,000 and 1.4 million people might be infected in the region by January if nothing was done.
The United States is deploying 3,000 soldiers to build treatment centres and train local medics.
Other nations, including Britain, France, China and Cuba, have pledged military and civilian personnel alongside cash and medical supplies.
The World Bank has said it will give an additional $170 million to support medics and healthcare systems in the region.
"The reality on the ground today is this: the promised surge has not yet delivered," said Joanne Liu, international president of Medecins Sans Frontieres, a medical charity that has been treating patients in the region for months.
Speaking at the same meeting as Obama in New York, Liu said the sick were desperate, aid workers were exhausted and infection rates were doubling every three weeks.
"Our 150-bed facility in Monrovia opens for just thirty minutes each morning. Only a few people are admitted -- to fill beds made empty by those who died overnight," she said Continue reading
CREDITS: dailymail
The warning came shortly after the World Health Organisation gave a rare hint of optimism in the West African crisis, announcing that the spread of the disease in Guinea appeared to have stabilised.
Sierra Leone put three more districts home to over a million people and major mining operations -- under indefinite quarantine.
An outbreak that began in a remote corner of Guinea has taken hold of much of neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone, killing nearly 3,000 people in just over six months. Senegal and Nigeria have recorded cases but, for now, contained the spread of Ebola.
"More nations need to contribute critical assets and capabilities -- whether it's air transport, medical evacuation, health care workers, equipment or treatment," Obama told a meeting on Ebola on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
"If unchecked, this epidemic could kill hundreds of thousands of people in the coming months."
Weak health systems have been overrun by one of the deadliest diseases, and reliable information on its spread is scarce.
But most experts warn that the number of cases recorded so far represents a fraction of the true total, with many victims unable or unwilling to come forward for treatment.
WHO said earlier this week the total number of infections could reach 20,000 by November, months earlier than previously forecast.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned between 550,000 and 1.4 million people might be infected in the region by January if nothing was done.
The United States is deploying 3,000 soldiers to build treatment centres and train local medics.
Other nations, including Britain, France, China and Cuba, have pledged military and civilian personnel alongside cash and medical supplies.
The World Bank has said it will give an additional $170 million to support medics and healthcare systems in the region.
"The reality on the ground today is this: the promised surge has not yet delivered," said Joanne Liu, international president of Medecins Sans Frontieres, a medical charity that has been treating patients in the region for months.
Speaking at the same meeting as Obama in New York, Liu said the sick were desperate, aid workers were exhausted and infection rates were doubling every three weeks.
"Our 150-bed facility in Monrovia opens for just thirty minutes each morning. Only a few people are admitted -- to fill beds made empty by those who died overnight," she said Continue reading
CREDITS: dailymail
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