Ebola crisis a 'public health emergency of international concern'

 
A soldier looks on at stranded Liberians as movement is halted in the country to hinder the spread of the disease

The Ebola crisis was today declared a “public health emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organisation as it warned more cases were certain to emerge.

But it stopped short of calling for an international travel ban and pleaded with airlines to restore flights to affected west African countries to prevent hurting their already weak and war-damaged economies.

WHO director-general Dr Margaret Chan said the risk to airline staff and passengers was “so minimal”, and added: “Stopping the airlines flying to these countries will hurt the economy of these countries.”

Earlier this week British Airways announced it was suspending flights until the end of the month to Liberia and Sierra Leone, which, at their border with Guinea, share the “big hotspot” of the outbreak.

There have been 1,711 cases reported, resulting in 932 deaths. Dr Chan said: “We do believe there are more cases than what is being reported. This is often the case with a disease that has such a fear factor.”

WHO chiefs used a press conference in Geneva this morning to outline the challenge faced in coping with the worst outbreak of the killer virus after formally declaring the health emergency to “galvanise” international help for the three countries and Nigeria, which has also been affected.

“This is the largest, most severe and most complex outbreak in the nearly four-decade history of this disease,” Dr Chan said. She said today’s declaration alerted countries to the need for high vigilance for new cases “but by no means implies that all countries, or even many countries, will see Ebola cases”.

All travellers will be screened prior to leaving the four affected west African countries and people who have come into unprotected contact with those infected with Ebola could be quarantined for 30 days.

Dr Chan said health workers were being prevented from working as a result of “riot and violence” and called on the presidents of the three worst affected nations to fulfil their promise to ensure police and military protection at hospitals and clinics. There was also a desperate need for personal protective equipment for health workers caring for victims.

“Mass gatherings” such as football matches and church services should be postponed and relatives of Ebola victims should abandon tradition and avoid making contact with the dead at funeral services to prevent the spread of the virus. The majority of new cases are occurring through transmission among families and affected communities.

Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general, said that as Ebola could only be transmitted through physical contact with blood and other bodily fluids and not through the air like flu it could be brought under control. The WHO will decide on Monday whether to allow unlicensed drugs to be used on patients.

Dr Fakuda said: “While Ebola is infectious, and highly infectious in certain areas, it’s an infectious disease which can be contained. It’s not mysterious. It’s something that can be stopped.”

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