Liberia’s Defence Minister Brownie Samukai has said that the Ebola virus disease outbreak is seriously threatening the country’s future.
The deadly virus has killed more than 1,000 lives in the country to date.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the country is the worst hit by West Africa’s Ebola epidemic and is expected to report thousands of new cases in coming weeks.
Samukai said: "Liberia is facing a serious threat to its national existence. The deadly Ebola virus has caused a disruption of the normal functioning of our state."
"It is now spreading like wild fire, devouring everything in its path. The already weak health infrastructure of the country has been overwhelmed."
The UN special envoy to Liberia Karin Landgren reported the council that around 160 Liberian health care workers have been affected with the virus and half of them had died.
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By GlobalDataLandgren added: "The speed and scale of the loss of lives, and the economic, social, political and security reverberations of the crisis are affecting Liberia profoundly.
"Liberia lacks the infrastructure, logistical capacity, professional expertise and financial resources to effectively address this disease."
A total of 4,293 cases have been recorded by the organisation in five West African countries as of 6 September, noted WHO.
Liberia has recorded 2,046 cases resulting in 1,224 deaths, Guinea has 862 cases and 555 deaths, Sierra Leone 1,361 cases and 509 deaths, Nigeria 21 cases and eight deaths, and Senegal has three cases including one confirmed and two suspected.
Image: Ebola virus virion. Photo: courtesy of CDC/Cynthia Goldsmith.