世行拨款2亿美元抗击埃博拉

The World Bank pledged up to $200m in emergency funding to help fight the Ebola virus in west Africa, as the death toll in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea mounts.

随着埃博拉病毒在利比里亚、塞拉利昂和几内亚造成的死亡人数日益增高，世界银行(World Bank)承诺将向西非提供总计2亿美元紧急资金，以抗击埃博拉。

Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank, said the funds would provide “critically needed support for the response to stop further transmission of Ebola” within the three nations, which“would prevent new infections in neighbouring at risk countries”.

世行行长金墉(Jim Yong Kim)表示，该基金将“为阻止埃博拉病毒（在这三国）继续传播提供急需的支持”，这些援助“或能阻止相邻的高风险国家出现新的感染”。

The financial package comes days after the World Health Organisation and the west African countries most affected by the epidemic asked for immediate support.

就在世行提出这一财政援助计划几天前，世界卫生组织(World Health Organisation)和受传染最为严重的西非国家都曾请求紧急援助。

The African Development Bank has also promised emergency funding, with a package of about $60m. Donald Kaberuka, head of the AfDB, said the countries affected needed immediate support to build up their health systems.

非洲开发银行(African Development Bank)也已承诺提供大约6000万美元的紧急资金援助。非洲开发银行行长唐纳德•卡贝鲁卡(Donald Kaberuka)表示，那些受影响的国家急需紧急援助，以建设医疗卫生系统。

The death toll from the Ebola virus outbreak in west Africa has climbed to 887, according to figures released by the WHO on Monday that suggest the epidemic is spinning out of control. In only two days, between July 31 and August 1, the WHO said 61 deaths and more than 100 new cases were reported.

根据世界卫生组织周一发布的数字，埃博拉病毒在西非导致的死亡人数已攀升至887人，显示病毒正在失控。在7月31日到8月1日仅两天时间内，世界卫生组织就表示录得61起死亡病例和逾100起新发现病例。

The World Bank said it would redirect some money already allocated to the three countries into the immediate Ebola crisis and, in addition, would seek permission from its board to tap the so-called emergency crisis window, which was set up several years ago to help poor countries hit by natural disasters.

世界银行表示，此前已决定分配给上述西非三国的资金，将重新调配，用于对埃博拉危机的紧急处理。此外，该行还会寻求获得董事会批准，以启用所谓紧急危机窗口。该窗口于几年前设置，旨在帮助受到自然灾害打击的贫穷国家。

World Bank officials said some of the money would support the WHO in the near term, and beyond that it would help the three countries’ health systems.

世行官员表示，短期内部分资金会用于为世界卫生组织提供支持，在那之后这些资金将用于帮助这三国建设医疗卫生系统。

“This outbreak is moving faster than our efforts to control it,” she added.

目前，埃博拉病毒尚无已知的有效疗法或疫苗，这种病毒在感染后2至21天内发作，会导致呕吐、腹泻、以及内外出血症状，致死率在50%到90%之间。

Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, said last week “if the situation continues to deteriorate, the consequences can be catastrophic in terms of lost lives, but also severe socio-economic disruption and a high risk of spread to other countries”.

这次埃博拉病毒的爆发，是近40年前该病首次被确诊以来最严重的一次。在此之前最严重的一次是2000年在乌干达的一次爆发，当时有425人因此丧生。1976年，该病毒曾导致大约280名感染者丧生，那次病毒爆发发生在埃博拉河附近一个偏远的村庄内（那里现在属于刚果民主共和国），是目前已知最早的埃博拉病毒爆发事件。