ADDIS ABABA
By Abebech Tamene
African foreign ministers will meet in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on September 8 to formulate a collective strategy for fighting Ebola, the African Union (A.U.) has said.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, the A.U. said the meeting would aim to reach a common understanding of Ebola, along with recent efforts to combat the virus.
The pan-African body added that meeting participants would be expected to come up with a collective approach to the crisis, taking into account its socio-political and economic impact.
It said meeting participants were also expected to discuss the suspension of air flights, port and border closures, and the "stigmatization" of Ebola-hit countries.
Ebola has claimed more than 1,000 lives in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, according to the A.U.
On August 19, the A.U. decided to speed up deployment of a Joint Military and Civil Medical Mission against Ebola.
The mission is expected to be deployed on September 10, the A.U. said in its statement.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that more than 1,900 people had been killed by Ebola since the outbreak in West Africa was first reported.
"The number of confirmed cases now stands at 3,500 in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, including more than 1,900 deaths," Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, said at a Wednesday press briefing.
Chan warned that the disease was spreading in affected countries. She said authorities hoped to stop the outbreak within six to nine months through coordinated effort and financial support.
The tropical fever, which first appeared in 1976 in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, can be transmitted to humans from wild animals.
It also reportedly spreads through contact with the body fluids of infected persons or of those who have died of the disease.
The WHO has described the virus as "one of the most virulent."
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