MOSCOW, October 19 (RIA Novosti) – Liberia's President Ellen Johnson called on the international community Sunday to cooperate in the fight against the deadly Ebola virus, as it can lead to a disaster on the African continent.
In a "letter to the world" broadcast on BBC, the Liberian president stated that Ebola "respects no borders" and "every country has to do all it can to help fight it".
A whole generation of African people could be lost due to the disease, as it can lead not only to a humanitarian, but also to an economic catastrophe on the continent, Johnson added.
According to BBC, international donors have granted almost $400 million to UN agencies and charity organizations to fight the disease, though this is still considerably less than the needed $998 million.
The largest Ebola outbreak in history is currently taking place in West Africa. Over 4,500 people have lost their lives in the epidemic and nearly 9,200 cases of confirmed or suspected infection have been registered.
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of those infected and there is no officially approved medication for the disease, though several countries are currently working on vaccines.
