The United Nations Security Council on Thursday declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a “threat to international peace and security” as the death toll hit 2,630 and France became the latest Western nation to step up its support.
French President Francois Hollande announced the deployment of a military hospital to the remote forest region of southeastern Guinea, where the outbreak was first detected in March.
Since then the virus has infected at least 5,357 people, according to World Health Organization (WHO), mostly in Guinea, neighbouring Sierra Leone and Liberia. It has also spread to Senegal and Nigeria, Reuters reports.
With fragile West African healthcare systems overrun by the outbreak, Hollande said France’s response would not be limited to contributing to 150 million euros ($194 million) in aid promised by European Union nations.
“We must save lives,” Hollande told a news conference. “I have asked the defence minister to coordinate this action and to include military doctors and the civil protection agency plus air support.”
The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said on Thursday he will create a special mission to combat the disease and deployed staff in the worst-affected states.
