WHO says Ebola response in Congo faces funding shortfall

GENEVA — The World Health Organization says it has secured only about a third of the money needed to fight Ebola in Congo over the next three months. Chikwe Ihekweazu, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, gave the figure at a news conference in Geneva. Ihekweazu said the needs for the next three months were estimated at $115 million. He said that amount represents only a small share of what the WHO requires, and that only 35% of the sum has been covered so far. Ebola is a serious viral disease that affects the human immune system and internal organs and can cause internal and external bleeding by disrupting blood clotting. The reported fatality rate varies by outbreak, ranging from 25% to 90%, with an average of about 50%.