Ban appoints UN coordinator for Ebola

UN Secretary-General on Tuesday called for a coordinated international response to the current Ebola outbreak and appointed David Nabarro of the United Kingdom as the world organization's coordinator.

At the UN Headquarters in New York, Ban told reporters three urgent steps in combating the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern.

Ban urged the international community to respond urgently to the shortage of doctors, nurses and equipment, including protective clothing and isolation tents, to address the severe lack of capacity in the most severely affected countries.

The UN chief stressed that he has designated Nabarro as Senior United Nations System Coordinator for Ebola Virus in close coordination with Dr. Margaret Chan of WHO, as "a coordinated international response is essential."

According to him, Nabarro will be responsible for ensuring that the United Nations system makes an effective and coordinated contribution to the global effort to control the outbreak of Ebola.

Warning against "panic and fear", Ban said, "Ebola can be prevented. With resources, knowledge, early action and will, people can survive the disease."

"Ebola has been successfully brought under control elsewhere, and we can do it here too," he added.

The largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded began in Guinea in December 2013 and spread to Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, where a total of 1,848 cases have been reported, including 1,013 deaths, according to the latest report released by WHO.

Born in London, Nabarro was qualified as a physician in 1973. In September 2005, he joined the office of the UN Secretary General as Senior Coordinator for Avian and Pandemic Influenza.