The latest World Health Organization figures show the Ebola outbreak has killed more than 4,500 people in the three worst-hit countries: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. But World Bank President Jim Yong Kim worries the death toll could rise further if the international community does not act faster.
In an interview with France 24's Marc Perelman, he praises the US, UK and France for their efforts to fight Ebola, but urges other countries to help too. "The US is moving quickly in Liberia, the UK government is moving quickly in Sierra Leone, the French government, along with MSF and the Red Cross, have begun to really tackle that problem".
On the financial cost of Ebola, Jim Yong Kim says "the approach that we have to take is: whatever it costs, let’s put that money up today, now". He explains that "a dollar invested today is so much better because it prevents us from having to invest 4, 5, 10, 15, 20 dollars later on".
The World Bank chief hopes the epidemic will serve as a "real wake-up call", saying "we’ve got to build health systems in Africa…so that the next time this happens, we respond immediately and stop it at its source".
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