UN chief urges governments to avoid Ebola panic

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on governments to avoid panic and fear in the face of the threat posed by Ebola virus, which has so far killed more than 1,000 people.

“We need to avoid panic and fear. Ebola can be prevented,” Ban told reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, adding, “With resources, knowledge, early action and will, people can survive the disease.”

The UN chief further said that Ebola has been “successfully brought under control elsewhere and we can do it here too.”

Ban has chosen British physician David Nabarro to be the UN coordinator for Ebola. He is tasked with supervising the world body’s strategy for stamping out Ebola, having led its response to the avian flu and SARS health crises in 2006 and 2003.

“In the days ahead, the UN system will further strengthen the way we are dealing with the outbreak,” Ban said.

The outbreak which started in Guinea and spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, is regarded as the worst since Ebola was first discovered 40 years ago.

The disease has so far killed 1,013 people, including a Spanish priest who on Tuesday became the first European to succumb to the epidemic that broke out earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Ban referred to the urgent need to address the shortage of doctors, nurses and equipment, especially in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

There is currently no known cure for Ebola, which is a form of hemorrhagic fever with diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding as its symptoms.

The Ebola virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces or sweat. It can also be spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.