http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/who-declares-ebola/1304678.html?cid=TWTCNA&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Nigeria became the latest country to declare a national emergency over the deadly Ebola virus on Friday (Aug 8), as the World Health Organisation (WHO) called the epidemic that has claimed nearly 1,000 lives a global health crisis.
The WHO has appealed for international aid to help afflicted countries after a rare meeting of the UN health body's emergency committee, which urged screening of all people flying out of the affected countries in west Africa.
It stopped short of calling for global travel restrictions, urging airlines to take strict precautions but to continue flying to the west African countries hit by the outbreak. And it called on countries around the globe to be prepared to "detect, investigate and manage" Ebola cases if they should arise.
"I am declaring the current outbreak a public health emergency of international concern," WHO director-general Dr Margaret Chan said, warning of the "serious and unusual nature of the outbreak and the potential for further international spread".
States of emergency had already been declared in the hardest hit countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Nigeria became the latest on Friday (Aug 8).
The Ivory Coast, which neighbours Guinea and Liberia, said it was declaring a "very high" level of alert, while Benin is also investigating a suspect patient.
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