David Cameron has said to the international community that they should “look to their responsibilities”, to help tackle the Ebola epidemic ravaging parts of West Africa. The Britain Prime Minister insisted that his country was leading the way in providing assistance to the West Africans as he backed and supported UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon.
“This is the biggest health problem facing our world in a generation. It is likely to affect a number of countries here today,” Cameron said at the Asia Europe Meeting in Milan, Italy.”Britain, in my view, has been leading the way. The action we are taking in Sierra Leone where we are committing well over £100 million, 750 troops, training 800 members of health staff, providing 700 beds – we are doing a huge amount.”
“I think it is time for other countries to look at their responsibilities and their resources and act in a similar way to what Britain is doing in Sierra Leone, America is doing in Liberia, France is doing in Guinea.” “Other countries now need to step forward with resources and action because taking action at source in West Africa is the best way to protect all of us here in Europe.”
“This is quite serious. We need an urgent global response and support,” he said. While some 20 million US dollars (£12.4 million) has been pledged to a trust fund set up by Ban-Ki Moon, only 100,000 dollars has so far been received. A wider UN appeal has received 376 million US dollars (£234 million) in pledges – about 38% of the amount sought – though some countries are also providing help directly to affected countries and humanitarian agencies.
Meanwhile researchers seeking to develop a vaccine for the Ebola warned that it was unlikely to be available until next year.
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