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WHO: Priority actions needed to end West Africa Ebola outbreak
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Health ministers from countries affected by the ongoing Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa agreed on a number of priority actions to contain the spread of the disease, according to WHO.
Eleven ministers, including those from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, convened during an emergency meeting July 2-3 in Accra, Ghana, to discuss the current situation. To date, there have been reports of over 750 cases and 445 deaths — making it the largest outbreak of Ebola ever documented. The outbreak has been spreading since March, when it was first reported in rural Guinea.
“We have adopted an inter-country strategy to tackle this outbreak,” Louis Sambo, MD, WHO regional director for Africa, said during the closing session of the meeting. “It’s time for concrete action to put an end to the suffering and deaths caused by Ebola virus disease and prevent its further spread.”
The ministers were in agreement that several challenges remain in containing the outbreak, including coordination between border-sharing nations, financing, logistics and surveillance, among other problems. According to WHO, factors that have contributed to this outbreak include its transmission in rural communities — facilitated by cultural practices and traditional beliefs — as well as transmission in densely populated areas and across borders.
WHO is establishing a “Sub-Regional Control Center” in Guinea to coordinate with and provide technical assistance to West African countries that are either affected by the outbreak or threatened by its spread.
According to WHO, the priority actions agreed upon during the emergency meeting include:
- Ongoing meetings with government ministries to develop and enact a strategy to control the outbreak;
- Conduct public awareness campaigns;
- Strengthen surveillance;
- Deploy additional human resources to heavily affected areas;
- Commit more financial resources:
- Facilitate greater exchange of information regarding the outbreak; and
- Consult with health officials in countries that have already managed previous outbreaks.