CRI听力:Southern African Health Ministers Meet to Discuss Ebola Response

Health ministers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are calling for a coordinated effort to contain and stop the spread of the Ebola virus.

The Health ministers at an emergency meeting in Johannesburg have agreed on a strategy for responding to further outbreaks. 13 heads of state are also attending.

The meeting is chaired by Malawian Health Minister Jean Kalilani.

"The International Health Regulations stresses the need for national coordination and leadership, and enhancement of cross-border collaboration and involvement of communities and active facilitation by the SADC Secretariat."

The meeting comes as the Nigerian government has described the Ebola outbreak in the country as a national emergency.

Meanwhile, World Health Organization (WHO) experts are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss a response to the outbreak.

It plans to convene a panel of medical ethicists early next week to explore the use of experimental treatments.

A specially equipped medical aircraft is now en route to Liberia to repatriate a Spanish priest who tested positive for the deadly virus.

Outside of Africa, a Saudi man with suspected Ebola has died in Jeddah.

If confirmed, this would be the first Ebola-related death outside Africa.

Ebola, with a fatality rate of up to 90%, is one of the deadliest diseases known.

This year, it has killed more than 900 people.