West Africa's Ebola crisis could be "under control" in six months, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates predicted on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has contributed $50 million to assist in the effort to fight the disease, which so far has claimed 3,091 lives, with over 6,500 cases reported in West Africa, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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"You've got the U.S. focusing more on Liberia, the UK on Sierra Leone, France on Guinea," Gates said Tuesday. "In six months, with any luck, we will have it under control in these three countries."
Gates said Cuba had also "made an important offer, in terms of doctors, and their doctors are quite well trained." To prevent the spread of Ebola, Gates explained that "centers are being set up in the surrounding countries," adding that officials needed to continue to be "vigilant."
In addition to controlling the disease in affected countries, Gates said "the big question mark" was how to prevent its spread.
"If we can contain to it the three countries, get the case numbers to come down there, then we should be able to have this behind us. And, a lot of rebuilding will have to be done," he said.
Gates said he was "super impressed" with efforts by the U.S. to combat Ebola. Earlier this month, President Barack Obama pledged funds and troops for affected West African nations to assist in efforts to contain the disease.
"It's amazing that the U.S. ability to lead like this is there. The fact that [the Department of Defense] can take the logistics end, so medical workers will be able to go in and out, get the supplies in where all the transport links have broken down," he said.
Help was still needed by more countries, Gates maintained, adding that civil wars had left several of the West African nations weak.
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