After returning from a visit to Ebola-hit countries, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the UN must learn lessons from the Ebola crisis and begin preparing now for the next outbreak of deadly disease.
Ban has also called for scaling up the recovery efforts in West Africa to rebuild shattered economies, get children back to school and begin caring for Ebola orphans. He also cited the need to trace the virus in remote areas of West Africa and looking at isolated chains of transmission.
Ebola Virus Disease
Ebola is caused by a virus via direct contact with body fluids or infected blood. Scientists have identified five types of Ebola or Ebola hemorrhagic fever virus.
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The UN chief said, "We will launch a serious effort to explore what more we can do to stay ahead of the next outbreak of disease, a test that is sure to come."
Following criticism from non-governmental organizations that the UN, particularly the World Health Organization were too slow to swing into action against the Ebola outbreak; Ban traveled to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, the epicenter of the year-long Ebola epidemic that has killed more than 6,900 people. He also traveled to Mali, which has had a recent outbreak and Ghana which is the headquarters of the UN Ebola Emergency Mission.
Source: Medindia
Source: Medindia
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