CRI听力:Blood Therapy Can be Used to Treat Ebola: WHO

The World Health Organization has agreed to use blood therapy and serums made from survivors' blood to fight the spread of the deadly Ebola disease.

Marie Paule Kieny is an assistant director-general of the WHO.

"We agreed that whole blood therapies and convalescent serum may be used to treat Ebola virus disease and that all efforts must be invested into helping affected countries use them safely."

People produce antibodies in the blood in an attempt to fight off an Ebola infection.

In theory, those antibodies can be transferred from a survivor into a sick patient to give their immune system a boost.

However, large scale data on the effectiveness of the therapy is lacking.

Meanwhile, Kieny says the WHO has identified two promising vaccines that could be used to combat the ongoing outbreak.

"Two promising vaccine candidates were identified. One is called chimpanzee adenovirus Ebola, and the other one VSV-Ebola. Safety studies are currently underway in the United States of America, and soon to start in Europe and Africa."

The official adds that the WHO will work with all relevant stakeholders to accelerate the development and safe use of possible vaccines in affected countries.

If proven safe, a vaccine could be available in November for priority use on health-care workers.

So far more than 2,000 people have died of Ebola virus since its outbreak in West Africa in February.