CDC: Progress made, more work needed to control Ebola outbreak

Upon returning from West Africa, CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, described the Ebola outbreak situation as inspiring and sobering.

“It’s inspiring to see how much better the response has become in the past 2 months, how much international commitment there is, and, how hard people from each of the three countries are working to stop Ebola,” Frieden said during a media briefing. “But it is sobering that Ebola continues to spread rapidly in Sierra Leone, and that in parts of Monrovia and Conakry, Ebola is spreading unabated. Improvements in contact tracing are urgently needed.”

Frieden met with patients and clinicians in West Africa, as well as many of the CDC’s 170 staff members working in the countries. He also met with presidents, health ministers and Ebola leadership members in each country. He said the outbreak has slowed dramatically in Liberia thanks to improvements in Ebola treatment centers, safe burials and community involvement. In Sierra Leone, however, the outbreak continues to surge, and there has been significant spread through Conakry, the capital of Guinea.

Thomas Frieden

“We’ve got a long way to go, and this is no time to relax our grip on the response,” Frieden said. “CDC staff are committed to this cause because they understand the urgency in stamping out Ebola in West Africa. Stopping this outbreak at its source in West Africa is essential in order to protect Americans.”