Vice President Biden met with leaders of religious and other non-governmental groups in Washington on November 13. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has praised religious groups for helping fight Ebola by promoting safe burial practices, which sometimes clash with religious tradition.
The death toll from the virus ravaging West Africa has surpassed 5,000 and is growing. While some areas are seeing a slight decline in the spread of the disease, officials say serious concerns remain.
When a person died of Ebola, his body remains infectious. It has to be removed and buried by a specially trained team to prevent the spread of the virus. The safety practices are incompatible with some religious traditions and that where religious leaders played an important role, said Vice President Biden.
The World Health Organization reported that the death toll from Ebola has reached 5,160 people. The Organization said that the real number is probably higher, because many deaths go unreported. Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone have been the hardest hit, but officials say the death toll is growing in Mali. The number of infected people worldwide has surpassed 14,000 people.
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