One year since the deadly Ebola virus started spreading in West Africa, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted dramatic improvements in the three most affected countries and urged the global community to help West Africa recover following the unprecedented outbreak.
Speaking Tuesday to an informal U.N. General Assembly meeting on Ebola, the U.N chief told delegates and U.N. officials that his recent visit to West Africa convinced him that defeating the epidemic is ultimately possible, but the challenge remains in winning quickly and minimizing suffering.
Eradicating Ebola would demand collective determination and clarity of focusâ€‌ by all international and national actors, Ban said. Strong national leadership with local community engagement and international support is slowing the incidence of new cases in many places. Through all our efforts, we have learned that our response must be regional in nature to avoid a risk of re-transmission.
Despite high optimism and “massive support‌ from the international community, the secretary-general also urged caution, noting that Ebola remained a versatile and frightening adversary. The outbreak has taught us that there is no room for complacency,‌ he said. Resources continue to be required to adjust the response, monitor chains of transmission, and end the outbreak.