The World Health Organization said Friday that two existing treatments dramatically reduced deaths from Ebola and should be given to people of all ages suffering from the often-fatal haemorrhagic disease.
Publishing its first-ever guidelines on which therapeutics to use against Ebola, the UN health agency strongly recommended using two monoclonal antibodies, mAb114, also known as Ansuvimab or Ebanga, and REGN-EB3, or Inmazeb.
Studies had showed that the two treatments significantly "reduced mortality," Janet Diaz, lead of the clinical management unit in the WHO's Health Emergencies programme, told reporters in Geneva.
Depending on the standard of care, she said they could save between 230 and 400 lives for every 1,000 people infected.
In its guidelines, the WHO recommended against using other therapeutics that have been tested for Ebola, including monoclonal antibody ZMapp and antiviral drug remdesivir.
Ebola is an often-fatal viral haemorrhagic fever that was first identified in central Africa in 1976. The disease was named after a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as Zaire.
The worst epidemic in West Africa between 2013 and 2016 killed more than 11,300 people. The DRC has had more than a dozen epidemics, the deadliest killing 2,280 people in 2020.
Case fatality rates for the disease, which spreads through bodily fluids and causes high fever, vomiting and bleeding, can be as high as 80-90 percent, depending on how quickly it is detected and treated.
The WHO said mAb114 and REGN-EB3 should be given swiftly to anyone who contracts the virus.
In a statement the health agency said that the two had "demonstrated clear benefits" and could be used for everyone infected by Ebola, including older people, pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and newborns.
"Patients should receive recommended neutralising monoclonal antibodies as soon as possible after laboratory confirmation of diagnosis," it said.
The WHO cautioned though that access to both the treatments remained "challenging, especially in resource-poor areas."
"WHO is ready to support countries, manufacturers and partners to improve access to these treatments, and to support national and global efforts to increase affordability," the UN health agency said.
Robert Fowler of the University of Toronto, who co-chaired the guideline development group, hailed how "advances in supportive care and therapeutics over the past decade have revolutionised the treatment of Ebola."
"Ebola virus disease used to be perceived as a near certain killer. However, that is no longer the case," he said in the statement.
Combined with proper support, the two recommended treatments mean "recovery for the vast majority of people," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Australian Police Search For Man Who Poured Boiling Hot Coffee On 9-Month-Old Baby Know About New Zealand’s Second-Ever Maori Queen Polio First Phase Vaccination Campaign In Gaza Successful: WHO "Make Your Son Chief Minister": Atishi To Delhi On Replacing Arvind Kejriwal "Your Duty...": Chief Justice On Bengal's 'No Night Shift For Women' Note AAP's Atishi To Be Delhi's New Chief Minister, Chosen By Arvind Kejriwal Vineet Goyal Out, 1 Of These 5 Officers Could Be Next Kolkata Top Cop XAT 2025 Mock Test To Be Held On September 25 Registrations Extended For Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test 2025 Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.