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WHO chief pledges 'transparent' review of its handling of Ebola crisis

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WHO chief pledges 'transparent' review of its handling of Ebola crisis


WHO chief Margaret Chan says agency will be upfront about how it handled disease, after damning internal report details its initial failings

PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 22 October, 2014, 4:19am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 22 October, 2014, 5:49pm

Zhuang Pinghui and Associated Press

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WHO director general Margaret Chan said on Monday that the report was a "work in progress". Photo: AFP

The head of the World Health Organisation said the agency would be upfront about its handling of the Ebola outbreak after an internal report detailed failures in containing the virus - while a senior WHO official praised the precautions China has taken.

In a draft document, the WHO says "nearly everyone" involved in the Ebola response failed to notice factors that turned the outbreak into the biggest on record.

It blames incompetent staff, bureaucracy and a lack of reliable information.

WHO director general and former Hong Kong director of health Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun said on Monday that the report was a "work in progress". Chan, who was attending a conference in Tunisia, said: "I have promised WHO will be fully transparent and accountable."

Despite the shortcomings listed in the report, the WHO praised China's response to the Ebola threat as health and immigration authorities remained on alert. "China took quick action to prepare for the potential spread of Ebola. For example, China strengthened its surveillance and screening systems at airports and other points of entry and took measures to quickly develop and disseminate technical guidance on infection, prevention and control to health workers," said Dr Bernhard Schwartlander, the WHO representative in China.

Schwartlander added that recent cases in Spain and the US demonstrated that no country was immune to Ebola. But he said: "China has moved fast to prepare should an imported case arise".

More than 9,000 people have contracted Ebola in West Africa this year, more than half of whom have died. The worst affected countries are Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. WHO has declared that Nigeria and Senegal are now free of Ebola virus transmission.

China has not confirmed a single case of Ebola and Beijing last month ruled out more than 10 possible cases, referring to patients who had travelled to the affected region or had contact with victims, animals, blood, body fluids or dead bodies from the affected region and had a fever (a body temperature above 37.3 degrees Celsius).

Chinese border and health authorities implemented a response plan in July to combat the virus at key entry points and to diagnose and treat the disease. The National Health and Family Planning Commission on Monday urged local health departments to fully prepare for potential Ebola cases.

Hospitals designated to treat Ebola cases should secure all necessary equipment, medicine, disinfectant and protective gear for treatment, the commission said. They should also be equipped with negative-pressure isolation chambers and dedicated ambulances for patient transfers.

The commission also stressed the need for effective quarantine measures and safe disposal of medical waste. Hospital staff should be equipped with protective garments to minimise the risk of in-hospital infections, and hospital laboratories must be equipped for timely diagnoses of the disease.

They should also communicate with border inspection teams, quarantine authorities and the military to ensure patients are transferred safely.

 
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