Merkel urges tighter WHO management after ‘Ebola catastrophe’
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday the World Health Organization must streamline its management to respond quickly to crises like West Africa's "Ebola catastrophe" that has killed more than 11,000 people. The WHO and its director-general Margaret Chan have come under heavy fire for their slow response to the Ebola epidemic, which began in Guinea in December 2013 but was not declared an international public health emergency until August 2014. This is why it is so important to render its structures more efficient." Merkel said Germany would contribute 200 million euros to help developing countries boost their defenses against infectious diseases, including 70 million euros for West Africa. Guinea has seen a spate of new Ebola cases due to transmissions at funerals, a worrying sign as it seeks to stamp out the epidemic, a health official said on Friday.
