Ebola Update - Noon Briefing (4 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 (4 December 2014).
(Update)
A couple of Ebola related notes: the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) said today that a member of its military personnel has tested positive for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and that test came back yesterday. The patient is receiving treatment at an Ebola Treatment Unit in Monrovia.
The Head of the Mission, Karin Landgren, said today that UNMIL had taken immediate steps to prevent further transmission. In line with established WHO protocols, the Medical team of the Mission has conducted an immediate and robust contact tracing to ensure that all those who came into contact with the individual while he was symptomatic have been assessed and quarantined. Sixteen contacts have been identified to date. And all areas where the individual is known to have been while symptomatic have now been decontaminated.
This is the third case of Ebola in the mission, mission personnel rather. As you know, one previous confirmed case and another probable case, which could not be confirmed, both resulted in the death of the staff members on 13 October and September 25th, respectively.
Also, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Ebola, David Nabarro, was in Bamako, Mali yesterday. He discussed the current situation and the measures being taken during a series of meetings with the Malian President, Minister of Health and Public Hygiene as well as other government representatives, as well as with the head of the UN UNMEER in Mali, Dr. Ibrahima Socé Fall and representatives of MINUSMA, the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes.
Dr. Nabarro said that there was a large engagement of the whole population on the Ebola response and that the government was working effectively.
But he also said that a very high level of focus and attention had to be maintained even if there are few cases around and until the last person was under treatment. He also said that as long as there is Ebola in any neighboring country, Mali needs to remain on high alert.
And also this morning, the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, UNMEER, received 400 motorbikes from Germany. Each of the 400 motorcycles are equipped with a cooler box and will be used to bring blood samples to laboratories in the most affected areas of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
The handover took place at the UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Accra and the Head of mission, Tony Banbury, thanked the German people for their donation and said it was an excellent example of international cooperation.
Global Ebola Response Website