This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Obama pledges additional support against Ebola outbreak
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
President Barack Obama announced a major increase in support of those fighting the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, pledging to supply additional health care workers, community care kits, medical supplies, materials to build field hospitals and up to 3,000 military personnel.
The statement followed the president’s visit to the CDC’s Atlanta headquarters to speak with medical professionals returning from the affected region. The commitment supports the U.N. and other international partners aiding the governments of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal.
“This massive ramp-up of support from the United States is precisely the kind of transformational change we need to get a grip on the outbreak and begin to turn it around,” Margaret Chan, MD, director-general of WHO, said in a press release.
Margaret Chan
The US government plans to establish a regional headquarters in Monrovia. A military staging base will facilitate the coordination of response forces and expedite the supplies and personnel sent to help.
Sixty-five health care workers will support an upcoming hospital in Monrovia to care for other workers infected while caring for patients. Engineers will construct additional Ebola treatment units in areas affected by the outbreak, as well as a site to train up to 500 new health care workers each week.
“It’s not a mystery. We know the science. We know how to prevent it from spreading,” Obama said during a press event at CDC headquarters. “We know how to care for those who contract it. We know that if we take the proper steps, we can save lives. But we have to act fast.”
The president said the chances of the outbreak spreading to the United States are extremely low, but still should be considered a national security priority. He plans to meet with U.N. officials over upcoming weeks to encourage a global response to the threat.
As of Sept. 12, there have been 4,784 reported cases of Ebola and 2,400 estimated deaths, according to WHO. — Dave Muoio