World Bank President Jim Yong Kim proposed the creation of an international fund on Friday, which will serve as an emergency system that can be activated during a global health crisis, such as the Ebola outbreak.
The plan came after U.S. President Barack Obama critiqued the United Nations for its slow response to the Ebola crisis, according to Businessweek.
"Such a device would pre-package a response, establishing contingent funding agreements with donors and receipt mechanisms for possible recipients," Kim said. "So when the global health emergency is declared, financial support would be readily available and flow quickly to support an immediate response."
The United States and the European Union both deployed aircrafts to transfer infected medical staff from West Africa to the treatment facilities. But the main challenge now is the insufficient number of nurses and doctors who are willing to go to the affected countries due to transportation issues.
The World Bank has allotted $400 million to accelerate Ebola response programs, $117 million of which were distributed to countries that are severely affected by the disease, the Wall Street Journal reported. But the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that $600 million is needed to fund the Ebola outbreak response. Funds will be used on essential supplies and medicines, training, hazard pay, death benefits for the volunteers, education programs, and more.
There are also countries that have offered assistance to the West African region. The United States pledged to send at least 4,000 soldiers on top of the $400 million aid. The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is also sending 65 officers to Liberia to help in the care centers. About 2,600 people also volunteered to provide care for the patients.
To date, WHO has documented 8,033 confirmed cases of Ebola infections with a 50 percent fatality rate. Liberia remains the most infected country, followed by Sierra Leone and Guinea.
