UK Health Radio – Medical New Update on the Hour - Ebola Update

UK Health Radio – Medical New Update on the Hour

Ebola Update

This week the death toll from Ebola has risen dramatically with nearly 1000 cases being reported in one 24-hour period the BBC have said.  The BBC have also reported that the Bill Gates foundation is to give a donation to help in the fight to combat the disease.

Health agencies on the ground have said that the efforts need to be stepped up if the outbreak that has been on going for several months now is to be combated. 

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warned that a global military intervention was needed to combat the outbreak.

MSF condemned the global response so far as "lethally inadequate" and said the world was "losing the battle" to contain the outbreak.  There have been 3,500 confirmed or probable cases in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

"The outbreaks are racing ahead of the control efforts in these countries," WHO chief Margaret Chan said.

The WHO is meeting on Thursday to examine the most promising treatments and to discuss how to fast-track testing and production.

Disease control experts, medical researchers, officials from affected countries, and specialists in medical ethics will all be represented at the meeting in Geneva.

At least $600m (£360m) is needed to fight the virus, and more than 20,000 people could be infected before the outbreak is brought under control, the WHO has warned.

Ms Chan described the outbreak as "the largest and most severe and most complex we have ever seen".

This is an on-going story and we will keep you updated as it develops.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

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