UN chief criticises travel bans, says Ebola should be stopped at source

United Nations: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has criticised the travel bans and closing of borders by countries in response to the Ebola outbreak and asked the nations not to incite panic, saying “the only way to stop Ebola is to stop it at its source.” “The gravity of the (Ebola) outbreak deserves our full attention. However, it is also critical to remain calm. We must convey a sense of urgency without inciting panic,” Ban told reporters alongside African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, where they had discussed how the three organizations can help efforts to stop the Ebola epidemic unfolding in West Africa. Pointing out that some countries have imposed travel bans or closed their borders, Ban said such measures will only “isolate the affected countries, and obstruct our response efforts. The only way to stop Ebola is to stop it at its source.” Earlier, Ban had said that quarantines should be based on scientific evidence, expressing concern over restrictions on travellers returning from Ebola-affected countries. [caption id=“attachment_1228627” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. AP[/caption] He said those people who develop infections should be “supported, not stigmatized” and restrictions will hamper work of the healthcare workers in stopping the outbreak in source countries. Ban reiterated that the best way for any country to protect itself from Ebola is to stop the outbreak at its source in West Africa. “This requires considerable international health care worker support and in return for this support, we have an obligation to look after them,” he said. The UN Chief said quarantines not based on scientific evidence would only hamper efforts and will also undermine strong commitment by many health workers who are willing ready to visit and help the people on the ground. As aid workers and medical personnel return to their countries after working to provide treatment to Ebola patients in West Africa, several restrictions have been put on their movement by governments as they aim to prevent the spread of the virus. In New York, after a doctor who treated Ebola patients returned from Guinea and tested positive for the virus, state government had put in place a mandatory 21-day quarantine for travellers returning from the most-affected West African countries. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo came in for sharp criticism from health experts and had to loosen restrictions. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also faced backlash after a nurse who arrived from Sierra Leone last week was swiftly quarantined in a tent set up inside a Newark hospital, with a portable toilet but with no shower. Australia became the first developed country to shut its borders to citizens of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, the countries worst-hit by the West African Ebola outbreak. The US military also decided to quarantine soldiers returning from an Ebola response mission. Meanwhile, the Geneva-based UN World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the approval by Swissmedic, the Swiss regulatory authority for therapeutic products for a trial with an experimental Ebola vaccine at the Lausanne University Hospital, saying “this marks the latest step towards bringing safe and effective Ebola vaccines for testing and implementation as quickly as possible.” The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) reported that its Chinese peacekeeping contingent will assist in the construction of an Ebola Quarantine and Control Center in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. The project is expected to take 21 days to complete. Noting that the UN continues to work with its partners to ramp up efforts to tackle all aspects of the outbreak, Ban said: “Ebola is a major global crisis that demands a massive and immediate global response. No country or organization can defeat Ebola alone. We all have a role to play.” The UN chief said he is in constant contact with world leaders “to help us create dedicated medical facilities for in-country treatment of responders and to put in place medical evacuation mechanisms.” “We have a long way ahead to contain and curb the Ebola outbreak and to help the affected countries rebuild their health systems to better withstand future shocks,” he said. According to WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic, the agency has 176 health personnel on the ground, while 700 had been deployed and rotated since the beginning of the outbreak. At any given time, he said there were about 200 people on the ground. In addition, medical teams from other organizations including medical teams from Cuba, China, and other countries. Jasarevic stated that 230 more burial teams are needed, to ensure 70 per cent of safe burials. Eight to 10 people are needed for one burial team. In response to a question about the politicians in Australia and the US calling for restrictions on people returning from affected countries, Jasarevic said mandatory quarantine was not recommended, as people were not contagious until they were showing symptoms. PTI