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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : October 14, 2014 11:13 AM IST
The Ebola epidemic shows that the world is ill-prepared to respond to a severe health emergency, World Health Organization director general Margaret Chan said Monday. 'The world is ill-prepared to respond to any severe, sustained and threatening public health emergency,' Chan said at a meeting of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in Manila.
Chan explained that the remark does not refer exclusively to the Ebola epidemic that plagues west African nations, but to any other epidemic of the same magnitude and stressed that the current outbreak reinforces this finding. (Read: How the Ebola virus spreads in humans)
She recalled that in 2009 the WHO had confirmed during the crisis of pandemic influenza H1N1 that the world is not prepared to offer an adequate response. 'I have never seen a health problem that causes so much fear and terror beyond the affected countries. I've never seen an infectious disease contribute as strongly to the ability of a state to fail', she added. At least 8,399 people have been infected with the deadly disease, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, of which 4,033 have died. (Read: Ebola virus is mutating rapidly say scientists)
What is ZMapp and how it works?
ZMapp, combination drug contains monoclonal antibodies made from a tobacco-plant strain. It is an optimized cocktail combining the best components of two treatments namely MB-003 (Mapp) and ZMAb (Defyrus/PHAC) and is produced in a laboratory by exposing mice to fragments of the virus. This drug contains antibodies that confer protection against the virus attacking the body. These antibodies bind to a specific protein (target) of the virus and mimic the immune action.
Why has the FDA not approved ZMapp?
As of now, only two cases have been reported stating that ZMapp has been effective in treating Ebola, while studies have shown that only 43% of animals affected with the Ebola virus have been cured. Additionally, the efficacy of the drug has not been evaluated in humans (only two cases have been positive where the drug was used before infection and not after being affected). The drug is being used based on the experimental evidence and its safety has to be proven through clinical trials. It might take at least two months for large scale studies on humans and thus, a considerable amount of time for the FDA to officially approve the use of ZMapp for Ebola treatment. Read more about Ebola in India: Will experimental drug ZMapp ever come to India?
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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