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Ebola Virus Outbreak 2014: Crisis Continues as WHO Asks for International Aid and Cuba Sends Doctors

By Rodrigo Ugarte ([e-mail])First Posted: Sep 13, 2014 11:23 AM EDT

The World Health Organization requires more personnel to continue to combat the Ebola epidemic. Cuba has announced it will send more than 160 health professionals to West Africa.

The World Health Organization has asked the global community for further help to deal with the Ebola epidemic in West Africa as the death toll nears 2,500 and doctors and medical staff are in short supply. In response, Cuba will send doctors in October.

The Ebola epidemic has wreaked havoc through West Africa, particularly Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, the three hardest hit countries. The World Health Organization reports that more than 2,400 have died and the number of infected people has jumped to 4,784, according to the Telegraph.

"In the three hardest-hit countries, the number is moving faster than the capacity to manage them," said head of the WHO, Margaret Chan.

She explained more than 500 foreign doctors and more than 1,000 local health professionals are needed to combat the disease, adding that 22 countries are at risk of being exposed to the epidemic.

UNICEF, the UN's children's agency, has also been trying to deal with the repercussions of Ebola in the stricken countries, according to Reuters.

"The Ebola treatment centers are full, there are only three in the country. Families need help in finding new ways to deal with this and deal with their loved ones and give them care without exposing themselves to this infection," said Sarah Crowe, spokeswoman for UNICEF, via phone to Reuters.

"It is quite surreal and everywhere there is a sense of this virus taking over the whole country," she said. "We do not have enough partners on the ground. Many Liberians say they feel abandoned."

In attempts to prevent further infections, UNICEF has instructed people to "use whatever means they have, such as plastic bags, to cover themselves if they have to deal with sick members of their family." She added that 2,000 children had lost one or both parents in Liberia alone.

However, Cuba has pledged to send 165 health professionals to West Africa, according to a WHO statement. The group will include epidemiologists and specialists in infection control among the doctors and nurses. The group will be based in Sierra Leone.

"If we are going to go to war with Ebola, we need the resources to fight," Chan said. "I am extremely grateful for the generosity of the Cuban government and these health professionals for doing their part to help us contain the worst Ebola outbreak ever known. This will make a significant difference in Sierra Leone."

http://www.latinpost.com/articles/21396/20140913/ebola-virus-outbreak-2014-crisis-continues-who-asks-international-aid.htm