GENEVA
The World Health Organization has called for more medics to help combat the Ebola virus as the death toll rose beyond 2,400.
Director General Margaret Chan on Friday appealed for more health workers to tackle the disease, particularly in the three West African countries that have been hardest hit: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
"If we are going to go to war with Ebola, we need the resources to fight," she told reporters from the organization’s Geneva headquarters.
Chan said more than 2,400 deaths out of 4,784 cases means a massive emergency response is necessary. "The number of new patients is moving far faster than the capacity to manage them. We need to surge at least three to four times to catch up with the outbreaks."
Calling for urgent support from donor countries in sending doctors, nurses and medical supplies, Chan added: “We still need about 500 to 600 doctors coming from abroad and at least 1,000 or more health care workers.”
Roberto Morales Ojeda, Cuba's minister for public health, said Cuba would provide 165 health professionals to support Ebola care in West Africa.
The death toll from Ebola has been especially high among health workers as they are exposed to a large number of infected patients. In a few high-profile cases foreign medics have been evacuated to receive treatment after becoming infected.
The up-to-date figure on Ebola victims is likely to be far behind the actual figure, Chan said. "Whatever number of cases and deaths we are reporting is an underestimate," she added.
www.aa.com.tr/en
