EBOLA IN WEST AFRICA IS NO LONGER A GLOBAL RISK, WHO SAYS

According to WHO, Ebola in Western Africa no longer provokes a worldwide health threat.

Dr. Margaret Chan, general director of the UN health agency, reports that the World Health Organization agreed the opinion that Ebola, which is widespread in Western Africa, is “no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern."

However, those areas still have to remain vigilant and ensure that they will respond rapidly when there is a flare-up, with an aim to prevent from infections and transmissions.

The international experts, in addition, say that the possibility of international transmission through air travel is pretty low, and asks for the liftings of travel and trade restrictions in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, which are worst affected by Ebola epidemic.

Statistics from the WHO reveals that in the outbreak in Guinea in 2013, there were over 28,500 cases of Ebola confirmed, and more than 11,300 people died.

Ebola virus brings about a hemorrhagic fever, in which 90 percent of people who get involved die. The virus is transmitted when somebody has contact with blood, bodily fluids or organs of an infected patients. Therefore, those who have close contact with infected people are at risk of contracting.

To assess that virus and its transmission, the expert panel have reviewed the responses to the Ebola flare-ups, which have happened since the original chains of transmissions were disrupted in these Western Africa countries. Since then, there have been 12 re-emergences happening. The latest case was on March 17^th.

Similar to the expert panel, Dr. Margaret Chan thinks that those countries are capable of controlling these flare-ups. What’s more, she says that the reaction towards such these flare-ups will be very fast, and effective.

The World Health Organization indicates that the ability to deal with the flare-ups of the three countries in West Africa is great. These countries now have the strongest, biggest team of expertise to cope with the disease.

She said, when Ebola occurred for the first time, the expertise came up with vaccination in order to control the current situation. Moreover, hundreds of WHO staff have been sent to those areas to support the countries when there occurs an emergency.

Also, they need to make sure that sufficient clinical care, testing capacity and welfare services are available to thousands of survivors after the epidemic.

Ebola are also found in semen of the males, WHO indicates that there may happen sexual transmissions, even a year after the man’s full recovery. Hence, the men who survive from the epidemic need to have their semen tested.