Red Cross official: Ebola outbreak could be contained within 6 months

Elhadj As Sy, secretary general for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, announced Wednesday that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa could be contained in just four to six months.

At a press conference in Beijing, Sy said that if health workers provide "good isolation" and "good treatment of the cases which are confirmed," the six-month estimate would be possible. Sy's comments came during the Red Cross' Asia-Pacific regional conference, which is held every four years.

Sy also lauded China for contributing to the fight against Ebola when "many people were coming out and running away, and others were very hesitant to send people." The World Food Program announced Monday that China donated $6 million in emergency Ebola food aid.

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The outbreak has killed more than 4,500 people, according to the latest estimates from the World Health Organization. Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone are the worst affected by the epidemic.