Ban Ki-moon: The Ebola fight is far from over

WASHINGTON POST  OP-ED                                                                                      Nov. 9, 2014

By Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The Ebola outbreak is moving into a new phase that, in many ways, requires even greater attention and action than it has to this point. In addition to fears about the reach of the unforgiving virus and the spread of unfounded global panic, another concern has been added to the list: declaring “mission accomplished” too soon.

The rate of new Ebola cases shows encouraging signs of slowing in some of the hardest-hit parts of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone — and that’s good news. The full-scale international strategy to attack Ebola through safe burials, treatment facilities and community mobilization is paying dividends.

But as caseloads go down in some areas, they are rising in others. Some of the worst-affected areas are now almost free of Ebola while neighboring districts are seeing numbers climb sharply. Beds may be empty in one facility while treatment centers are overflowing elsewhere....

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