Aid workers take a stand on Ebola, time is running out‏

KRYSTAL GORDON

Oxfam Australia urges for medical staff to help fight Ebola as the life-threatening virus continues to spread throughout West Africa.

Oxfam Australia Executive Helen Szoke said more should be done to contain Ebola.

Ms Szoke made the appeal ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brisbane during a small protest near the CBD.

Eight aid workers dressed in protective medical gear held a ticking clock displaying 15 minutes to midnight to signify that time was running out.

Ms Szoke said urgent action was required to minimise the impact of the Ebola crisis on other parts of the world.

“The UN said we have a window of 60 days to scale up resources on the ground, there are only 15 days left until that window closes,” she said.

Save the Children, Plan International and Water Aid representative Tim Norton said more than 165,000 people signed a petition encouraging world leaders to commit to action.

“We need governments to act, we need governments to open up their resources to send people, to send medical staff, to actually put their funding on the table,” Mr Norton said.

He said the G20 Leaders’ Summit was “the best opportunity to send this message, with world leaders being in town”.

“It’s an economic crisis that can be addresses by the economic forum that’s happening right here in Brisbane,” Mr Norton said.

Meanwhile, Ms Szoke called on the G20 leaders to address equality and inclusive growth and ”act boldly” on tax reform.

“To actually engage in the dialogue around how this can be played into the future,” she said.

Ms Szoke said it was important to understand that the countries affected by the virus, such as Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, needed aid to rebuild once the crisis was under control.

According to the World Health Organisation, so far almost 15,000 people might have been infected with Ebola while over 5,000 have died from the disease.