Airborne Transmission of Ebola Has Not Been Ruled Out – Cuban Minister

NICARAGUAN President Daniel Ortega has accused the developed world of neglecting health matters afflicting poor countries, yet pours billions of dollars in wars.

And Cuban health minister Dr Roberto Morales says while the Ebola virus is proved to be transmitted to humans from wild animals and from person to person through bodily fluids, airborne transmission has not been ruled out.

During the Special Bolivarian Alliance for the peoples of Our America – Peoples Trade
Agreement (ALBA – TCP) heads of state and government plus international agencies on Ebola summit in Havana on Monday, President Ortega said the world should unite, putting aside ideological differences and circumstances to fight the epidemic.

“We need to rise above political ideologies to confront this Ebola menace,” he said. “While unity is vital, there is still insensitivity and hard-heartedness by the developed countries as far as coming to the aide of our African brothers and sisters affected by Ebola. The developed north are quick to fund in millions or billions in war adventures and not health matters affecting the developing world. These are health issues that can easily have global consequences if not adequately resolved. Our hope is that the developed world can also come to the defence of humanity.”

President Ortega said Nicaragua, just like other ALBA member states, joined those African countries ravaged by Ebola in their pain.

He said health workers in Africa must be commended for their heroic battles since the outbreak of the disease.

President Ortega said Ebola should not be allowed to spread further neither in Africa nor the developed world.

Bolivian President Evo Morales said it must be noted that it was countries that formed the G77 and like those of the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean that were most affected by Ebola.

He said initiatives like that of ALBA must be commended.

“We came accompanied by our foreign minister and our Minister of Health to work together a proposal to face this serious health problem that is Ebola,” President Morales.

He conveyed his admiration of Cuba for sending to Africa a group of “many well trained health specialists” to help stop the epidemic. President Morales said addressing any epidemic required capacitation, attention and other public awareness measures.

Haiti President Michel Joseph Martelly said following the cholera outbreak that claimed thousands of lives in his country, he knew all too well the need for adequate preparation for any epidemic like Ebola.

Prime Minister Martelly said had it not been for Cuban fast-track response, Haiti’s cholera outbreak would have been unimaginable.

St Vincent and Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said those like him who professed Christian faith should thank Cuba and Fidel Castro for Christian values and solidarity with the rest of the world.

He said apart from Cuba, none of the Caribbean Community states was prepared to face an Ebola disaster hence the significance of the ALBA summit initiated by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Gonsalves called for joint effort in screening and vigilance at airports and seaports to ensure no Ebola introduction in the region.

Cuban health minister Dr Morales said the dramatic situation in West Africa caused by the Ebola virus forces countries to take emergency measures to prevent its spread to Latin America and the Caribbean region.

He said the virus was included in the list of very dangerous diseases that reached a fatality rate of up to 90 per cent.

“In viral haemorrhagic fevers (particularly Lassa, Ebola, Marburg and Crimean-Congo), the virus is proved to be transmitted to humans from wild animals and from person to person through fluids such as urine, feces, blood, saliva, sweat, breast milk and semen; airborne transmission has not been ruled out,” Dr Morales said.

He said a total 9,391 cases of Ebola had been reported so far, out of which 5,301 have been confirmed.

Dr Morales said Ebola had claimed 4,638 lives in Sierra Leone (3,508 cases and a fatality rate of 34.8 per cent), Liberia (4,262 cases and fatality rate of 58.3 per cent) and Guinea Conakry with 1,528 cases and a fatality rate of 57.3 per cent.

He said there were other countries with a low transmission like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (68 patients) and the outbreak was under control.

Dr Morales said US had reported three cases, one of them from Liberia died, and two health workers. Spain reports a nursing assistant who treated two patients transferred from Liberia had been cured. Senegal reported only one case, with a last update on October 17. Nigeria reported 20 cases.

He said Cuba, on requests, would be sending specialists to Equatorial Guinea, Nicaragua, Jamaica and St Vincent and the Grenadines to work as consultants.

Quoting Fidel Castro, Dr Morales said: “because the worst that can happen is that this epidemic or other more serious illnesses reach our continent, or the heart of any community in any country in the world, where a child, mother or human being could die. There are enough doctors on the planet to ensure that no one has to die to lack of medical attention…”

Posted by Editor on October 23, 2014. Filed under World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry