'High impact' outbreaks such as Ebola the 'new normal', WHO warns
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By Anne Gulland
High impact disease outbreaks such as Ebola could become the "new normal", the World Health Organization has said.
Dr Mike Ryan, WHO’s assistant director for emergencies, said that a range of factors such as population movement, conflict and poor governance were coming together to create a perfect storm for disease outbreaks.
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“We are entering a new phase in terms of high impact epidemics and this isn’t just Ebola. You look at cholera, yellow fever, many other diseases - we’re seeing both re-emergence and resurgence,” Dr Ryan said.
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WHO is currently monitoring 160 different disease events around the world, including 33 emergencies, nine of which are grade three, requiring the highest level of operational response.
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