The "unprecedented" spread of the Ebola outbreak in Africa means it could reach the United Kingdom and other countries, according to one of the continent's most senior health officials. The current outbreak has reached 10,000 cases and almost 5,000 deaths.
Dr Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), compared the outbreak to the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid first took hold in China before spreading across the world, claiming millions of lives and ravaging health systems and economies. Dr Kaseya warned that Ebola could follow a similar pattern unless more funding is secured.
He said additional money is needed to increase preparedness in countries at risk and to develop possible treatments. Without it, he argued, the response to the outbreak will remain under strain as cases continue to rise.
The warning underlines the scale of the crisis facing health authorities across the region. Further details on the affected countries, case trends and international response are set out in the full report from the Guardian.
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