Ebola Could Spread Beyond West Africa- Bill Gates warns

 

The world's richest man Bill Gates has warned that countries should get ready to handle a possible outbreak of Ebola in case it spreads further as people from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea travel across borders.
'Because of that uncertainty, I am not going to hazard a guess,' Gates said after being asked whether he thinks the massive ramping up of international aid over the past few weeks is enough.
The World Bank has started working with countries on developing plans should the highly infectious disease spread.


The lesson so far is that countries with strong primary healthcare systems already in place are well positioned to halt the march of Ebola, as Nigeria and Senegal have demonstrated in their quick response to cases there, Gates said.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funneled extra money in July and August towards Nigeria and pledged an additional $50million on September 10 to fight the epidemic, which so far has infected over 6,000 people mostly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
The World Health Organization warns the infection rate probably is three times that number and could reach 20,000 by November. The death rate is over 50 per cent.
The lesson so far is that countries with strong primary healthcare systems already in place are well positioned to halt the march of Ebola, as Nigeria and Senegal have demonstrated in their quick response to cases there, Gates said.

To contain the epidemic, the United States on September 16 announced the deployment of 3,000 military engineers and medical personnel to build 17 treatment clinics and train healthcare workers, mostly in Liberia, at a cost of about $1billion.

The United Kingdom and France also are increasing their assistance and the United Nations has stepped forward to coordinate the international effort.

The Gates Foundation has deep expertise in fighting infectious diseases, especially malaria, HIV/Aids, polio and tuberculosis, and has invested billions of dollars in developing countries over the past decade.

Building a healthcare structure in the three countries worst hit by Ebola is critical, otherwise deaths from preventable diseases will quickly outpace those from Ebola, Gates said.

If mothers are afraid to get professional assistance in delivering their babies for fear of contracting Ebola and children cannot get malaria treatments, the long-term impact of the epidemic will be far more damaging, he said.
'That will be very tragic, and it won't get the type of attention that Ebola is getting,' Gates said.
He estimated that it will take 20 years of donor investment in some African countries to build resilient healthcare systems able to control preventable diseases and manage health crises.