Ban Ki-moon calls high-level meeting on Ebola

UNITED NATIONS.— Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, called a high level meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 25, to address the international response to the Ebola epidemic afflicting Western Africa. According to the Secretary-General’s spokesperson, the meeting of world leaders will mobilize actions to tackle the viral outbreak which has caused more than 2,800 deaths and almost infected almost 6,000 people, above all in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The aim is to secure a response capable of stopping the Ebola epidemic in the affected countries and prevent its spread to others, as well as treating those already infected. Heads of State, Alpha Condé, Guinea; Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia; and Ernest Bai Koroma, Sierra Leone, will attend the meeting, with Johnson-Sirleaf and Bai Koroma participating via video conference. In addition to the presidents and senior officials, the World Health Organization, the African Union Commission, the World Bank Group and the International Red Cross will be represented at the meeting, among other entities. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has made repeated calls for a global response to the epidemic. The Secretary-General also announced the appointment of David Nabarro from Britain as his Special Envoy for Ebola and Anthony Banbury as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). UNMEER specialist teams will shortly be deployed to the nations most affected by the lethal outbreak. (PL)