Global Response To Ebola Remains 'way Behind The Curve:' World Bank's Kim

The global response to the Ebola virus remains "way behind the curve," World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said Thursday. Kim called on the global community to set up effective treatment in the three Western African nations at the source of the outbreak. "You have to stop these epidemics at the source. Trying to block your borders or isolating those counties is not going to work," he said. Research into the outbreak of the SARS virus in Asia in 2003 shows that about 90% of the economic impact of an epidemic comes from the "fear factor" surrounding the crisis, he said. The World Bank estimated Wednesday that failure to keep Ebola from spreading could cause up to $33 billion in losses in the economy of West Africa. Kim said the World Bank did not yet have an estimate on possible impact on the global economy.