WHO Says Ebola Goals Largely Met In Liberia, Guinea; Sierra Leone Needs Additional Isolation Beds; Contact Tracing Critical Moving Forward

BBC News: Ebola crisis: WHO upbeat on targets
“The World Health Organization (WHO) says the 60-day goals it set itself for tackling the Ebola outbreak in West Africa have largely been met…” (12/1).

CNN: WHO confident it can catch up with Ebola
“There are 16,911 cases of Ebola worldwide and despite missing its own target on burials, the World Health Organization is confident it can still catch up with the virus, even on such a large scale…” (Capelouto, 12/1).

Deutsche Welle: Ebola goals met in Guinea, Liberia; Sierra Leone close
“…Dr. Bruce Aylward, the assistant director general of the World Health Organization, told reporters in Geneva that the WHO’s ambitious plan to stop the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa has shown it possible to quickly reduce the ‘yawning gap’ between disease levels and the capacity to respond…” (12/1).

New York Times: 2014 Goals for Ebola Treatment May Not Be Met, U.N. Health Officials Say
“…Among the biggest challenges now, the agency’s top official for the Ebola response said, is to track down every person potentially exposed. To do this, the organization plans to nearly double the number of its experts on the ground to assist 20,000 community health workers…” (Fink/Sengupta, 12/1).

U.N. News Centre: ‘Nimble and flexible’ approach needed to bring new Ebola cases to zero – U.N.
“Exceptional efforts to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa are starting to show results, but a more ‘nimble and flexible’ approach will be needed as the outbreak evolves in order to stay ahead of the disease and bring it down to zero, top officials charged with the United Nations response said [Monday]…” (12/1).

Wall Street Journal: Liberia, Guinea Reach Ebola Targets Set by World Health Organization
“Liberia and Guinea have isolated more than 70 percent of patients suffering from Ebola, the World Health Organization said Monday, part of a goal to help blunt the spread of the deadly disease. … A third West African country, Sierra Leone, hadn’t reached the 70 percent isolation mark…” (Kenny, 12/1).

Washington Post: West African countries not likely to meet Jan. 1 targets on Ebola, WHO official says
“…Two months ago, the United Nations set a target of having 70 percent of Ebola victims buried safely and 70 percent of Ebola patients treated in isolation beds within 60 days. All three countries have met the Dec. 1 target for safe burials, but only Liberia and Guinea have met that Dec. 1 target of having 70 percent of patients treated in isolation beds, Aylward said…” (Sun, 12/1).

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