WHO says Ebola cases could exceed 20,000

By Caribbean Medical News Staff

In perhaps the most alarming news yet, the World Health Organization says that Ebola cases could exceed 20 000 and more than six times what doctors are currently aware of in the current crisis. And the UN health Agency says they need half a billion dollars to fight the disease. Meanwhile in the Caribbean, Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar has asked for a CARICOM summit to urgently address Ebola and chikungunya. Caribbean territories are starting Ebola public education awareness plans and ports in Barbados are already staffed with screening health agents. Education and awareness continues.

“The cases are increasing. I wish I did not have to say this, but it is going to get worse before it gets better,” said Tom Frieden, Director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, in a news conference in Monrovia.

Unprecedented outbreak

The UN is saying that the critical public health emergency is either two to four times worse than originally thought according to sources. To date, the WHO has stated that 1,552 people have died from among the 3,069 cases in West Africa’s Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria.

“The outbreak continues to accelerate” said the Agency spokesperson. The WHO says that 1427 people have been killed so far with Liberia being hardest hit of all West African nations.

“The world has never seen an outbreak of Ebola like this. Consequently, not only are the numbers large, but we know there are many more cases than has been diagnosed and reported,” Frieden said.

Ministers of Health from the African regions once again met in Accra, Ghana to look at ways to address the burgeoning crisis.  It is also expected that US officials will announce that GlaxoSmithKline do a human study of a vaccine to assist in the treatment of Ebola in the next few weeks.

Flights suspended

Air France has suspended flights to Sierra Leone leaving Monrovia in nearby Liberia and will now only service the area with flights on one regular service on Royal Air Morocco. British Airways has similarly suspended flights to Libera, Sierra Leone and Guinea in light of the outbreak.  Brussels Airlines has cancelled numerous flights to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea as well, but is relooking the possibility of three separate flights to Monrovia, Freetown and Conakry to meet passenger demand while officials are looking at ways to deliver 40 tonnes of medical supplies.

The UN has requested assistance from airlines in the delivery of urgent medical supplies to illness ravaged areas in West Africa. The Congo has also reported a possible mutation of the virus in the area stating that the virus there is not of the same vintage of that in West Africa.

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