Ebola shows world unprepared for next pandemic, ex-US CDC head says
Tom Frieden called the latest outbreak of the deadly disease a ‘stress test’ that the world is failing so far
The world is not “well prepared” for the next pandemic, Tom Frieden, the former head of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said, citing the current response to the Ebola outbreak and cuts to US public health efforts.
“This Ebola outbreak is not going to cause a pandemic, it’s not going to cause a significant risk to large numbers of Americans,” Frieden, the CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, said.
“It’s a stress test, and it’s a stress test the world is not doing well at. I would say so far we’re failing, and that bodes ill for the future.”
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday there are 1,077 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is spreading quickly.
Partial border closures are in place between Congo, Uganda and Rwanda, which has made coordinating relief and aid more difficult.
African officials said earlier this week they have only received pledges meeting a little over half of the US$500 million needed to fight the outbreak.