Don't focus too much on Ebola, warns the Queen in Chatham House speech

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The Queen warned last night that focusing too much attention on the Ebola outbreak could lead to an upsurge in other deadly diseases such as malaria.

At an event alongside world leaders in the science of infectious diseases yesterday at Chatham House in London, she asked ‘piercing’ questions about how the disease ought to be controlled.

And the monarch, 88, said she worried that Ebola, which has claimed 5,000 lives already, risked overshadowing the risk from other deadlier diseases like malaria, which kills the same number every week.

Speaking to one of the world’s top epidemiologists, Professor David Heymann
of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, she told him she worried that those with feverish symptoms which could be malaria are being turned away from hospitals because they were too busy dealing with Ebola patients.

Professor Heymann said he was impressed at her level of knowledge on the subject and described her as ‘very perceptive.’

Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, 93, the Queen was visiting foreign affairs think tank Chatham House to launch a new leadership academy.

The Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs will offer leaders the chance to develop skills to deal with major policy challenges and the critical issues facing the world.


Don't focus too much on Ebola, warns the Queen, as she reveals concerns that fight against the virus could overshadow deadlier conditions such as malaria

Queen has asked ‘piercing’ questions about how the disease control
could lead to an upsurge in other deadly diseases
Said she worried Ebola was overshadowing risk from diseases like malaria

Ebola has claimed 5,000 lives. Malaria kills the same number every week

By Francesca Infante for the Daily Mail
19 November 2014
Daily Mail

The Queen warned last night that focusing too much attention on the Ebola outbreak could lead to an upsurge in other deadly diseases such as malaria.

At an event alongside world leaders in the science of infectious diseases yesterday, she asked ‘piercing’ questions about how the disease ought to be controlled.

And the monarch, 88, said she worried that Ebola, which has claimed 5,000 lives already, risked overshadowing the risk from other deadlier diseases like malaria, which kills the same number every week.


The Queen warned last night that focusing too much attention on the Ebola outbreak could lead to an upsurge in other deadly diseases such as malaria. She was speaking at an event at London’s Chatham House

Speaking to one of the world’s top epidemiologists, Professor David Heymann of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, she told him she worried that those with feverish symptoms which could be malaria are being turned away from hospitals because they were too busy dealing with Ebola patients.

Professor Heymann said he was impressed at her level of knowledge on the subject and described her as ‘very perceptive.’

He said: ‘She felt very strongly about it.

‘She was very interested in Ebola because she said her doctor told her that there are more people dying from malaria every week than are dying from Ebola - and he was right.

‘Ebola is getting all the attention and malaria is not.

‘She is afraid that malaria will have a comeback because people are not paying enough attention to it.’

Professor Heymann is a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and was the former assistant director-general for infectious diseases at the World Health Organisation.

He investigated the first Ebola outbreak in 1976 and has worked on three subsequent outbreaks since then.


The monarch said she worried that Ebola, which has claimed 5,000 lives already, risked overshadowing the risk from other deadlier diseases like malaria, which kills the same number every week

After meeting the Queen at the event at London’s Chatham House, he added he believed that she was absolutely right in her concerns.

He added: ‘There is a great fear that there will be an increase in deaths from common childhood diseases like malaria and diarrhoeal diseases.

‘She is very perceptive. Unfortunately this should not detract attention from Ebola, which must be stopped. It is a terrible disease.


Queen Elizabeth II and Dr Robin Niblett, director of Chatham House, remove the first brick in a new extension, during a visit to launch The Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs at Chatham House in London

‘What the Queen has done is call attention to other infectious diseases which are with us every day and cause much greater misery, but not in such a spectacular way.

‘She asked a very piercing and important question which means she has analysed clearly the world situation of disease and she’s come to this conclusion which is the right conclusion.’

Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, 93, the Queen was visiting foreign affairs think tank Chatham House to launch a new leadership academy.

The Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs will offer leaders the chance to develop skills to deal with major policy challenges and the critical issues facing the world.

During her visit, she removed a brick from the wall between Chatham House - the Royal Institute of International Affairs - and neighbouring Ames House to symbolise the expansion next door, where the leadership academy will be based.


The Queen opened the new Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs, which will offer leaders the chance to develop skills to deal with major policy challenges and the critical issues facing the world.



During her visit, she removed a brick from the wall between Chatham House - the Royal Institute of International Affairs - and neighbouring Ames House to symbolise the expansion next door, where the leadership academy will be based

Prince William shows support for Ebola education video:

Prince William shows support for Ebola education video - YouTube


Chatham House



Daw Aung San Suu Kyi exits Chatham House after addressing an event on responsible investment in Burma and receiving her Chatham House Prize, 22 June 2012

Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. It is the originator of the Chatham House Rule. It takes its name from its premises, a Grade I listed 18th-century house in St. James's Square, a few minutes' walk from Piccadilly in the City of Westminster, designed in part by Henry Flitcroft and occupied by three British prime ministers, including William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham.

In the University of Pennsylvania’s 2013 Global Go To Think Tanks Report, Chatham House is ranked the second most influential think-tank in the world after the Brookings Institution, and the world's most influential non-US think tank.In 2009, Chatham House was also named the top non-US think tank by Foreign Policy magazine, which listed it as one of the top "scholars" for being among a handful of stars of the think-tank world who are regularly relied upon to set agendas and craft new initiatives.

The current chairman of the Council of Chatham House is Stuart Popham and its director is Robin Niblet. The research directors are Bernice Lee, Patricia Lewis, Paola Subacchi and Alex Vines.


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