Despite the WHO declaring Ebola “an international health emergency”, the Polish deputy health minister has said that there is currently “no risk” of an outbreak of the deadly virus in Poland.
"We are preparing for any eventuality and are constantly in contact with international organisations monitoring the situation but there is currently no risk of Ebola outbreak in Poland or in Europe,” Slawomir Neumann has told Polish Radio.
“The whole continent [Europe] is safe, although the danger of [the virus] being transported here does exist. There is not much more, however, we can do at this point," the minister said.
On Friday, Nigerian officials declared a state of emergency after five more people were diagnosed with the Ebola virus and one more person died.
Over 950 people have died in western Africa since February after contracting the virus.
The number of those who may have been infected is estimated at around 1800.
UN agency, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international public health emergency last week, demanding an “extraordinary response”.
Dr. Margaret F. C. Chan, director general of the WHO told a news conference at its Geneva headquarters, “This is the largest, most severe, most complex outbreak in the nearly four-decade history of the disease.”
Declaring the current outbreak of the Ebola virus disease a public health emergency of international concern, she said: “Countries affected to date simply don’t have the capacity to manage an outbreak on this scale on their own.” (di/pg)
Photo: A Czech army personal wears special protective suits during a simulation on a dummy in the Biological Defense Centre in the village of Techonin near Jablone Nad Orlici, Czech Republic, 11 August 2014. Czech Army's Biological Defense Center in Techonin is designed to treat possible patients infected with dangerous viruses, such as Ebola. The center is one of the few facilities perepared for Ebola patients in case the disease would brak out in Europe. EPA/FILIP SINGER
Ewa Malcher
