Via Radio Okapi: "Treatment that can cure Ebola is a radical change," says Antonio Guterres. The Google translation:
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the efforts of UN agencies in the field in the fight against Ebola. He believes that treatment that can cure Ebola is a radical change in this fight. He said it during the press conference held on Monday, September 2 at the Palais de la Nation, after his meeting with President Felix Tshisekedi.
"Today, we have a robust presence in the field from WHO, UNICEF and other UN agencies. There is an exceptional case detection work, there is a very important vaccination, there are screening and treatment centers that I have visited, ... and there is now a treatment that can cure Ebola. And that's a radical change. Today we have the capacity to cure Ebola, not only to prevent it with vaccination, but to cure Ebola patients," said Antonio Guterres.
He nevertheless calls on donors to convert their commitments into actual payments.
"In the area of Ebola, it must be recognized that the commitments made by the donor countries correspond until the end of the year more or less to existing needs. But we must transform the commitments into actual payments. And here we have had so far only 15% of our needs until the end of the year. In a normal humanitarian action, there is no problem if there is a delay of one week. In the context of Ebola, a week without resources, a week without a response, that does not mean that we lose a week, it can mean that we lose the war with Ebola," warned Mr. Guterres.
A conference on the problems of medical services in the DRC
The UN chief recalls that the fight against Ebola should not hide the diseases that also kill the Congolese population such as measles, cholera, ... he proposes an answer that is able to eradicate Ebola, but also to support the DRC to create the most effective basic health services in the fight against all other diseases.
"We are going to organize with the Congolese government in November a conference that addresses not only the problem of Ebola, but also the problems of medical services, the basic health services. Because we need to have a capacity to respond simultaneously more effectively not only to Ebola but also to measles, malaria, cholera and all other basic health problems of the Congolese people," has promised Antonio Guterres.
