Ebola affected countries receive only 40 % of $2.9 bn dollars pledged

Out of the almost $2.9 bn, that was pledged in donations to fight the Ebola epidemic in 2014, only about 40% actually reached the affected countries.

A study by the UN Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that tracked international donations showed barely $1.09 bn have reached the worst affected countries by the end of last year.

A global health policy expert at New York University who led the study Karen Grepin said the delays may have contributed to the spread of the virus.

The West Africa Ebola epidemic, the worst in history, has killed more than eight thousand 800 people since the outbreak affecting the already weak health systems in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

He said the problem has not been the generosity of donors but that the resources have not been deployed rapidly enough.

NEWS24