The Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Tom Frieden warned state leaders and officials of the World Bank on Thursday that the Ebola epidemic has the potential to become the world's next AIDS.
"In the 30 years I've been working public health, the only thing like this has been AIDS, and we have to work now so that this is not the world's next AIDS," affirmed Frieden.
President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim opened the forum on Ebola's impact and stated, "Unless we quickly contain and stop the Ebola epidemic, nothing less than the future of not only West Africa but perhaps even Africa is at stake." Secretary-General of the United Nation Ban Ki-moon echoed Kim's sentiments by stressing the importance of implementation and action. He added, "It is time for the international community to step up and stay up." The meeting also featured the presidents of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone - all nations which are affected by the deadly disease. To which President of Guinea Alpha Conde asserted to the leaders, "our countries are in a very fragile situation." To date, more than 3,800 lives have been taken by Ebola.