Wellington, Oct 15 (IANS): The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), an association of about 115 companies dedicated to helping cocoa farmers, will raise funds to help combat Ebola, media reported Wednesday.
"WCF will join a global movement to help fight Ebola in West Africa," New Zealand Radio quoted Bill Guyton, president of the WCF, as saying.
Two major cocoa-producing nations, Ghana and the Ivory Coast, have not yet been affected by Ebola.
But if the disease spreads from their infected neighbours - Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone - the cocoa industry could be in danger.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Tuesday said more than 4,000 people have been killed by the Ebola virus till now and there might be up to 10,000 new cases of Ebola per week in the next couple of months.