Ebola Update - Noon Briefing (12 December 2014)

United Nations - Ebola Update by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General at the Daily Noon Briefing at UN Headquarters in New York (12 December 2014).
(Update)
From Geneva today, the World Health Organization wrapped up a two-day high-level meeting on rebuilding health systems in Ebola-affected countries.
Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, Assistant Director General of Health Systems and Innovation at the World Health Organization stressed that due to Ebola, the majority of health facilities in these countries were either not functional or not used by the people for fear of contracting the disease.
Participants determined that substantial external financing will be needed to address key areas for improvement: health workforce, community trust and resilience of sub-national health systems.
As next steps, the World Health Organization’s Chief, Dr. Margaret Chan, invited governments to convene meetings at the national level, with key partners, to develop country specific plans.

There is more on this on the WHO’s website.
Also in Geneva, UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, announced today an expanded fight against the virus to continue tackling the two major drivers of Ebola transmission – lack of early isolation of patients and unsafe burials.
The Ebola response supported by UNICEF also impacts on other sectors beyond health. With schools closed, UNICEF is working with Ministries of Education and other partners to support continued learning by airing daily lessons on national and community radio stations, and through self-directed learning modules.
Work is also ongoing to prepare for the eventual safe reopening of schools, with tens of thousands of teachers being trained in psycho-social support techniques, Ebola prevention and safe and protective learning environments, again to strengthen community-based responses.
More information is on UNICEF’s website.
Global Ebola Response Website