Ebola Outbreak Will Take Several More Months to Contain: U.N.

Helen Regan

The U.N. goal of containing 100% of Ebola cases by Jan. 1 will not be met.

The U.N.’s special envoy on Ebola said Thursday that it would be several months before the ebola outbreak in West Africa is under control.

Dr. David Nabarro said international governments as well as local communities had taken a “massive shift” in responding to the crisis over the past four month, the Associated Press reports.

However, he noted that more needed to be done to contain the spread of the disease in western Sierra Leone and northern Mali.

“It’s going to take, I’m afraid, several more months before we can truly declare that the outbreak is coming under control,” Nabarro said.

The World Health Organization aimed to have 100% of cases isolated by Jan. 1, but acknowledges that previous targets have not been met.