Maritime Silk Road Luxuries of the Han Dynasty
Ceremony in honor of Confucius held in Sichuan
Hollywood blockbusters heats up fashion show in NW China
Ciao! Chinese beauties!
Naughty polar bear waves to photographer in Wapusk, Canada
An eye feast: BFA freshmen registration
Top 10 most lavish weddings
Most amazing chi-pao beauties
Observe the earth from space
Chinese lingerie brand arrives in Las Vegas
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon said Friday that the world organization is going to establish an Ebola crisis center to stop the spread of the virus in six to nine months.
Ban made the announcement after a meeting on the Ebola epidemic with senior leaders and experts from across the United Nations system, including Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Margaret Chan, and Senior UN System Coordinator for Ebola, Dr. David Nabarro.
"We are together today to send out an international rescue call, " Ban told reporters. "What began as a public health emergency is evolving into a social and economic challenge for millions."
"At the meeting we have just held, we agreed to establish an Ebola crisis center to bring synergy and efficiency to the efforts of these many partners within and beyond the United Nations," he said.
"The goal is to stop Ebola transmission in affected countries within six to nine months, and to prevent the international spread of the virus," the UN chief added.
According to WHO, more than 1,900 people have now died in West Africa since the outbreak of Ebola early this year and that there were about 3,500 confirmed cases in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and many heads of agencies and funds and programs, such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), also joined the Friday teleconference via video.
When briefing reporters here on the meeting, the UN chief stressed that "it is crucial to remember that Ebola can be avoided and controlled."
"The virus has been contained elsewhere in the past, and we can do it today as well," Ban said. "We know what to do and what needs to be done."
Noting the next few weeks would be "crucial", Ban called on the international community to contribute to the WHO Roadmap and provide the 600 U.S. million dollars needed for supplies in West Africa.
On Aug. 28, the WHO issued a roadmap to guide and coordinate the international response to the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa, which it said will serve as a framework for updating detailed operational plans.
The UN secretary-general also underlined the importance of " better awareness and understanding" about the Ebola virus, adding that "stigma and rumor can do just as much damage as the virus itself."
He urged airlines and shipping companies not to cancel flights and docking to the affected countries. "Banning flights and shipping services will not keep Ebola from spreading, but it will keep medical teams from reaching people most in need."
The UN chief also noted that the goal to stop Ebola transmission within six to nine months can be achieved "only if the urgent and necessary mobilization is done both in the affected countries and by the international community."
"We have seen the courageous responses of health personnel. We are determined to show our solidarity with them and scale up our efforts to tackle the epidemic," Ban said.
"This is a huge, serious challenge. We are organizing to meet it. I am convinced we can succeed," he added.
Top 10 world's highest-paid models 2014
"Twin flowers" bloom in the air
The 4th China-Eurasia Expo opens in Urumqi
Tall girls shine at model competition
Girl who cannot gain weight: She is 1, 2.9 kilograms
Bazinga! Watch out the 'facekini' fashion bomb attack
Experiencing maiden voyage between Sanya and Xisha
Chinese inflatable aircraft meets public for the first time
People enjoy delicacies in Tianjin undersea tunnel
COMAC jumbo jet and its global rivals
Capital Spirits: the capital's first liquor bar
Chengdu International Auto Show
2014 int’l drone exhibition
Trainings taken by Chinese navy divers
Female PLA honor guardsDay|Week|Month