Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has given the green light for the use of experimental drugs to treat those infected with Ebola Virus Disease, amid the worst-ever outbreak of the disease in West Africa.
The go-ahead was issued by a panel of medical ethicists, scientific experts, and lay people from the affected countries who met Monday to assess the role of experimental therapies in the Ebola outbreak response.
”In the particular circumstances of this outbreak, and provided certain conditions are met, the panel reached consensus that it is ethical to offer unproven interventions with as yet unknown efficacy and adverse effects, as potential treatment or prevention,” the panel concluded, according to a WHO statement Tuesday.
”Ethical criteria must guide the provision of such interventions. These include transparency about all aspects of care, informed consent, freedom of choice, confidentiality, respect for the person, preservation of dignity and involvement of the community,” the panel said.
The experimental drug Zmapp has been used to treat the two US doctors who contracted Ebola in Liberia as well as the Spanish Priest who also contracted the disease in the West African nation.
While the two US doctors are said to be responding to treatment, the Spanish Priest died Tuesday morning.
West Africa is experiencing the largest, most severe and most complex outbreak of Ebola virus disease in history.
Nigeria has made a request for Zmapp to treat eight people who have contracted the disease, but there is no indication that the Nigerian authorities have been given the drug.
As at 11 Aug., the WHO said a total of 1,013 people have died from the 1,848 cases in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.
According to WHO, Ebola outbreaks can be contained using available interventions like early detection and isolation, contact tracing and monitoring, and adherence to rigorous procedures of infection control.
However, a specific treatment or vaccine would be a potent asset to counter the virus.
