FIFA joins forces with UN to fight Ebola

Soccer's world governing body FIFA is working with the UN to host two Ebola treatment units in a football stadium in Liberia.

Ebola symptoms sign in Liberia

Liberian street artist Stephen Doe paints on September 8, 2014 a mural to inform people about the symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus in Monrovia.

FIFA, soccer's world governing body, says it looks forward to co-operating with the United Nations to combat the Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 2000 people in West Africa.

Antoinette Tubman stadium in Monrovia, the Liberian capital, will host two Ebola treatment units after the World Health Organisation determined that it is the best venue available.

FIFA earlier donated the stadium to Liberia's soccer federation.

"Thanks to the continuous fruitful and fundamental collaboration between FIFA and the United Nations, today we can use the power of football to combat the Ebola epidemic," FIFA President Sepp Blatter said.

"To allay any concerns regarding the impact of the treatment units on the recently installed pitch, FIFA has also proposed to cover the costs of any damage," he added.

Wilfried Lemke, special adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, noted that "the Ebola outbreak also has a tremendous impact on the sport community, ranging from health threats to the athletes themselves and restrictions on travel affecting competitions and the development of sport."

"National authorities, the UN and the world of sport need to work closely together in order to halt the spread of the disease. The commitment of sport organisations to support our efforts is very much welcomed and crucial. It is my hope that many will join in this fight," Lemke said.


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