UNITED NATIONS, August 12 (RIA Novosti) - As Ebola spreads in West Africa, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon designated Dr. David Nabarro as Senior United Nations System Coordinator for Ebola Virus Disease.
UN Secretary General said that “Dr. Nabarro will be responsible for ensuring that the United Nations system makes an effective and coordinated contribution to the global effort to control the outbreak of Ebola.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the World Health Organization announced that the death toll from this Ebola outbreak has surpassed 1,000.
Ban said that “Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have only recently returned to political stability following years of conflict that destroyed or disabled their health systems.” Ban urged “the international community to respond urgently to the shortage of doctors, nurses and equipment, including protective clothing and isolation tents. We need all hands on deck.”
In terms of coordination, Ban said he remains “in close touch with Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO” adding that “in the days ahead, the UN system will further strengthen the way we are dealing with the outbreak.”
“We need to avoid panic and fear. Ebola can be prevented. With resources, knowledge, early action and will, people can survive the disease. Ebola has been successfully brought under control elsewhere, and we can do it here too,” Secretary General concluded.
