Ebola: World Bank lowers 2014 growth for worst-hit nations

The World Bank has revised downwards its 2014 GDP growth projections for the three nations worst hit by the current Ebola outbreak - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

"The Ebola epidemic continues to cripple the economies," it said.

Its report comes as bank President Jim Yong Kim begins a two-day visit to West Africa to assess the impact.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says 5,987 people have died from Ebola in the three nations.

The latest World Bank report still shows positive projected growth there for 2014, but at much lower rates.

It said that "all three countries had been

State of clinical labs undermines medical research in Nigeria

The lack of Level 4 Biosafety labs (BSL-4) and standard research centres where detailed examinations on dangerous and emerging pathogens can be conducted, is making it impossible for Nigeria to partake in scientific research to develop vaccines for existing and emerging ailments, BusinessDay findings have shown.

The non-existence of the modern advanced laboratories has also tamed the country’s effort in making concrete headway in playing any significant role in the global health the scene, despite its huge resources.

Health professionals fear that with most clinical laboratories in the country still far from attaining the WHO African Region (WHO/AFRO) and ISO 15189 accreditation, the outbreak of another deadly virus such as

World Bank provides $400m to tackle Ebola

Following alarming evidence of the spread of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the World Bank Group has announced that it will nearly double its financing to $400 million to help the worst-affected countries address the emergency and build stronger health systems for the years ahead.

This represents $170 million in new funding. With this announcement, the bank will put $230 million toward the emergency response and $170 million for medium- and long-term projects.

The new resources – which the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors will consider in the coming weeks – will be targeted at rapidly increasing the health care workforce and purchasing needed supplies in order to bring care and treatment to all parts of the affected countries.

The funding also is aimed at

Okonjo-Iweala confident 2014 GDP growth will exceed 6 percent

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, says she is confident that growth in 2014 will be around the government’s latest forecast of 6.5 percent after discounting the economic impact of the insurgency waged by Boko Haram.

“We are confident it will be better than 6 percent and about 6.5,”  Okonjo-Iweala said in a Reuters report.

The government’s latest forecast set in the past few days, puts 2014 growth at 6.5 percent, she said, adding that the forecast already discounted the impact from the Boko Haram insurgency.

Okonjo-Iweala said

Ebola could wreck W/Africa economies, warns World Bank

The Ebola outbreak could have a catastrophic impact on the economies of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the World Bank says.

The organisation says the economic impact of the virus could "grow eight-fold" in the "already fragile states".

However, it says the cost can be limited if the epidemic - and the accompanying fear - is contained by a fast global response.

Ebola has killed 2,461 people in West Africa - the largest ever outbreak.

US President Barack Obama has called the latest outbreak "a threat to global security", and announced a larger US role in fighting the virus. The measures announced included ordering 3,000 US troops to the region and building new healthcare facilities.

The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the epidemic.

It is expected to

Textile union laments crisis in health sector

National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, has said warned that Nigeria cannot resolve health sector’s challenges particularly the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, if she continues to have crisis in the sector.

In a statement by the union, it commended the resolution that made the doctors to suspend their 55 days old strike, noting that “Government itself must provide health workers with the necessary tools including insurance covers to deal with the latest menace of Ebola.

Above all, both the doctors and the government must be tempered by the miserable Nigeria’s health numbers.

They include the following;

WHO withdraws staff from Sierra Leone Ebola lab after doctor infected

The World Health Organization has withdrawn staff from a laboratory testing for Ebola at Kailahun in eastern Sierra Leone after one of its medical workers there was infected during the worst ever outbreak of the disease, a WHO spokesperson said.

“It’s a temporary measure to take care of the welfare of our remaining workers,” WHO spokesperson Christy Feig told Reuters. “After our assessment, they will return.”

The WHO has sent nearly

Africa tightens Ebola travel curbs as affected countries face food shortages

African countries tightened travel curbs on Thursday in an effort to contain the Ebola outbreak, ignoring World Health Organization warnings that such measures could heighten shortages of food and basic supplies in affected areas.

In the West Point slum in Liberia’s capital Monrovia, the scene of violent clashes with the army on Wednesday after the area was quarantined to curb the spread of Ebola, hundreds of people jostled their way towards trucks loaded with water and rice.

Police used canes to beat back some locals while aid workers helped others dip their fingers in ink to record their ration.

“I ain’t eat since yesterday. I have four young children and none of us eat. I feel bad,” said Hawa Saah, a pregnant 23-year-old resident of West Point, speaking in

Ebola virus: Hand sanitisers turn gold

Since the death of the Nigerian nurse, who was among those who attended to the Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, who brought Ebola virus to Nigeria from Liberia, panic-stricken Nigerians have resorted to ways of preventing the killer virus.

One of these, among others, is the use of hand sanitisers after health authorities advised that Nigerians should maintain hygienic lifestyle, including washing of hands frequently, to prevent the disease. Following this, the prices of hand sanitisers have gone up astronomically as people are in mad rush for the products.

There are 10 confirmed cases of Ebola disease in Nigeria while about 177 people who may have come into contact with the virus are being monitored or isolated in Lagos, health minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said on Monday.

The death toll from the highly contagious Ebola disease has