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Ebola crisis: Huge risk of spread - UN's Tony Banbury | Ebola crisis: Huge risk of spread - UN's Tony Banbury |
(about 4 hours later) | |
The head of the UN Ebola response mission in West Africa has told the BBC there is still a "huge risk" the deadly disease could spread to other parts of the world. | The head of the UN Ebola response mission in West Africa has told the BBC there is still a "huge risk" the deadly disease could spread to other parts of the world. |
Tony Banbury declined to say if targets he had set in the fight against Ebola, to be achieved by Monday, had been met. | Tony Banbury declined to say if targets he had set in the fight against Ebola, to be achieved by Monday, had been met. |
The targets were for the proportion of people being treated and for the safe burial of highly infectious bodies. | The targets were for the proportion of people being treated and for the safe burial of highly infectious bodies. |
The UN boss was speaking in Freetown, one of the worst-affected areas. | |
On Sunday in Sierra Leone's capital, bulldozers were clearing large areas for a new burial ground. | On Sunday in Sierra Leone's capital, bulldozers were clearing large areas for a new burial ground. |
At the clearance site, near a rubbish tip, car after car was arriving with bodies, and several hundred workers were digging graves. | At the clearance site, near a rubbish tip, car after car was arriving with bodies, and several hundred workers were digging graves. |
In October, Mr Banbury told the UN Security Council that by 1 December, "70% of all those infected by the disease must be under treatment and 70% of the victims safely buried if the outbreak is to be successfully arrested". | In October, Mr Banbury told the UN Security Council that by 1 December, "70% of all those infected by the disease must be under treatment and 70% of the victims safely buried if the outbreak is to be successfully arrested". |
This interim goal - the ultimate UN goal is zero Ebola deaths - was set to try to bend down the upward curve in the graph of cases. | This interim goal - the ultimate UN goal is zero Ebola deaths - was set to try to bend down the upward curve in the graph of cases. |
Mr Banbury said the 70% targets were being met in "the vast majority" of areas in the three worst-affected countries - Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. | Mr Banbury said the 70% targets were being met in "the vast majority" of areas in the three worst-affected countries - Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. |
"But in some areas", he said, "including here in Sierra Leone - especially in the capital Freetown and in the town of Port Loko - we are falling short. And it is in those areas where we really need to focus our assets and our capabilities". | "But in some areas", he said, "including here in Sierra Leone - especially in the capital Freetown and in the town of Port Loko - we are falling short. And it is in those areas where we really need to focus our assets and our capabilities". |
In its latest report on 29 November, the World Health Organization said 6,928 people were now known to have died from Ebola. More than 16,000 have been infected. | |
Between 200 and 300 people are dying every week. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are by the far the worst hit countries. | |
But Mr Banbury said the situation would have been even worse if the UN had not intervened: | But Mr Banbury said the situation would have been even worse if the UN had not intervened: |
"Early on we adopted a strategy to get this crisis under control which involves treatment centres, safe burials and community mobilisation. That strategy is working." | "Early on we adopted a strategy to get this crisis under control which involves treatment centres, safe burials and community mobilisation. That strategy is working." |
The American UN boss added that, even so, "there is a huge risk to the world that Ebola will spread. It may spread around this sub-region, or someone could get on a plane to Asia, Latin America, North America or Europe... that is why it is so important to get down to zero cases as quickly as possible". | The American UN boss added that, even so, "there is a huge risk to the world that Ebola will spread. It may spread around this sub-region, or someone could get on a plane to Asia, Latin America, North America or Europe... that is why it is so important to get down to zero cases as quickly as possible". |