CIDRAP News: World Bank boosts recovery for Ebola outbreak nations
“At an Ebola summit at its spring meeting in Washington, D.C., today, the World Bank Group announced that it will provide at least $650 million over the next 12 to 18 months to help Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone recover, while providing new estimates of the epidemic’s impact. In other developments today, top-level World Health Organization (WHO) officials vowed to take up reforms suggested by its executive board in the wake of the outbreak, and Doctors without Borders (MSF) handed over a key Ebola treatment unit (ETU) in Monrovia to Liberia’s health ministry…” (Schnirring, 4/17).

U.N. News Centre: Last mile of Ebola struggle ‘may be most difficult,’ Ban says in Washington
“While there has been important progress over recent months, the Ebola epidemic remains a pressing challenge, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said [Friday], stressing that on the road to eradicating the scourge the ‘last mile’ may be the toughest…” (4/17).

USA TODAY: Ebola’s toll: $2.2B economic hit for W. Africa
“The Ebola epidemic that swept through West Africa this year sucked $2.2 billion from the economies of the three countries hit hardest by the disease, the World Bank said Friday. Sierra Leone’s economy lost $1.4 billion, Guinea lost $535 million, and Liberia lost $240 million, according to gross domestic product (GDP) estimates released Friday by the World Bank…” (Leger, 4/17).