WHO says epidemic has affected an
"unprecedented number of medical staff" in
Guinea, Liberia , Nigeria and Sierra Leone .
More than 120 health workers have died of Ebola
across west Africa, the World Health Organization
(WHO ) has said , claiming the epidemic had
affected an "unprecedented number of medical
staff".
In a statement on Monday, the WHO said more
than 240 health care workers working in Guinea,
Liberia , Nigeria, and Sierra Leone have
developed the disease with "more than 120"
succumbing to the epidemic.
The announcement came as Japan said it
was ready to provide a Japanese -
developed anti- influenza drug as potential
treatment to fight the rapidly expanding Ebola
outbreak.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told
reporters on Monday that Tokyo can
offer the tablet favipiravir, developed by a
subsidiary of Fujifilm, any time at the request of
the WHO .
Suga said Japan is watching for the WHO 's
decision on further details over the use of
untested drugs, the AFP news agency reported.
In case of an emergency, Japan may respond
to individual requests before any further
decision by the WHO , he said .
The WHO said earlier this month that it is ethical
to use untested drugs on Ebola patients given the
magnitude of the outbreak .
Developed by Toyama Chemical, a Fujifilm
subsidiary , to treat novel and re- emerging
influenza viruses , the drug was approved by the
Japanese health ministry in March.
Fujifilm is in talks with the US Food and
Drug Administration on clinical testing of the
drug in treating Ebola , company spokesman
Takao Aoki said .
The company has favipiravir stock for more than
20, 000 patients, Aoki said .
He said Ebola and influenza viruses are the same
type and theoretically similar effects can be
expected on Ebola.
Several drugs are being developed for Ebola
treatment , but they are still in early stages and
there is no proven treatment or vaccine for the
highly fatal disease.
Ebola has killed more than 1 , 400 people in West
Africa in the latest outbreak.
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