Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


               Red Cross Federation Chief: Ebola Can Be Defeated

   by Lisa Schlein

   The head of the [1]International Federation of Red Cross and Red
   Crescent Societies says he is optimistic that Ebola, which is
   decimating people in West Africa, can be defeated.  But, he warns time
   is of the essence to stop the spread of the deadly disease.

   More than 1,500 Red Cross volunteers are working in Ebola-affected
   communities in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.  Secretary-General of
   the International Red Cross Federation, Elhadj as Sy says these men and
   women are on the frontline of the fight against Ebola.

   He says he is humbled by the work they do.  And, the visit he recently
   paid to Guinea and Sierra Leone was in large part to show solidarity
   with them.  He wanted to show these brave men and women that they were
   not alone in their struggle to combat this vicious disease.

   "I do not know how I would look like if six months after Ebola then I
   come to say thank you while during that time when they were on the
   field risking their lives and doing the best they could and I sit in
   Geneva all the time," he said.

   Sy says national Red Cross societies throughout the world are involved
   in bringing the Ebola epidemic to an end.  He says nearly 130
   international staff members are working in the field.

   In addition, he says volunteers are coming from 17 different countries
   around the world.

   Regional knowledge

   He says they include people from neighboring Ivory Coast and Rwanda, as
   well as Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo--nations that have
   been struck with Ebola in the past and have a wealth of knowledge to
   impart.

   "I think that shows a very strong sense of solidarity-that all
   resources are required," he said.  "Expertise is a resource.
   Experience of having worked in an Ebola setting is a resource.
   Bringing your own knowledge of the environment and the cultural setting
   is a resource.  And, of course, we badly need the financial resources
   and the infrastructure and the equipments that will allow us to cope
   and then continue to support the response."

   The Red Cross Federation chief says the overwhelming support from so
   many people and governments makes him optimistic that this disease,
   which already has claimed more than 1,000 lives, will be defeated.
   But, he notes it will take many more months and many more lives before
   this is accomplished.

   "While we are very happy with what is being done, we are always asking
   ourselves if this is enough - probably not," said Sy. "It is not enough
   because we need to keep on going to scale to reach almost everybody.
   There is nothing like a half solution in this kind of crisis.  So, 50
   percent or 70 percent or even 80 will not be satisfactory.  We will
   only make a difference if we walk the whole last mile to the 100
   percent."

   Secretary-General Sy stresses the importance of remaining vigilant.  He
   warns against complacency once cases start to go down, as has happened
   in the past.  He says this could trigger a slower response to the
   epidemic, which would be a disaster.  He says the effort to combat this
   disease must be sustained until Ebola is stopped.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [2]http://www.voanews.com/content/ebola-can-be-defeated-but-time-is-of-
   the-essenced/2415466.html

References

   1. http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/press-releases/general/time-is-of-the-essence-to-control-and-contain-ebola-says-ifrc-ceo-elhadj-as-sy/
   2. http://www.voanews.com/content/ebola-can-be-defeated-but-time-is-of-the-essenced/2415466.html