Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Margaret Chan was in Mali over the weekend to discuss with local authorities better ways to stem the Ebola outbreak, which has killed at least five people in the West African country, a UN spokesman said here Monday.

Chan's visit came after the government confirmed on Saturday a new case of Ebola and said two more suspected patients are being tested, raising concern about a further spread of the disease.

"She visited an Ebola treatment center in Bamako, and met with President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, as well as with Prime Minister Moussa Mara and other leaders, to discuss Mali's ongoing efforts to stem the outbreak and ways United Nations organizations could enhance their support to Mali," Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing.

The UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) will formally open an office in the country on Wednesday, he added.

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), whose Executive Director Michel Sidibe was also with the WHO chief on the Mali visit, said in a press release issued Monday that "The next 15 days are critical for ending Ebola in Mali."

"The coordination of action and strategic communication are key to success, as are immediate international funding and technical assistance," said the UNAIDS.

The UN is ramping up support on many fronts to support both the preparedness and response efforts of the Malian government, including with the announcement on Friday by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response would establish an office in the country.

The joint UNAIDS-WHO mission would launch in-depth discussions on how the United Nations system can eradicate the epidemic and prevent further outbreaks. "In the past few weeks, Mali has responded quickly to find people who came into contact with someone infected with the disease," Chan said in a press release.

To date, WHO has reported 15,351 Ebola cases in eight countries since the outbreak began, with 5,459 reported deaths. Mali, previously free from the virus, is the latest country to register Ebola cases. Endite

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)