Obama Says He Will Send Over 3,000 Soldiers to Help Fight Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
President Barack Obama has ordered some 3,000 American military personnel to West Africa to help in the fight against the spread of the Ebola virus, which has killed over 2,400 people and has showed no signs of slowing down.
AFP reported on Tuesday that Obama will also travel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, where American Ebola victims are being treated, and will make a further announcement detailing the global plan to tackle the deadly disease.
Most of the military medical corps are set to travel to Liberia, which has been hit hardest by the outbreak, and will aim to build 17 treatment centers with 100 beds each.
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The disease, for which there is no cure, has also spread through Sierra Leone and Guinea, though there have been cases reported also in Nigeria and Senegal. Only 47 percent of the infected during the outbreak have survived the disease, which is a higher survival rate than previous instances, due to improved treatment.
Cuba is another country involved in helping with the Ebola outbreak, and has sent a medical team of 165 people to Sierra Leone to help in the Ebola response efforts.
"Money and materials are important, but those two things alone cannot stop Ebola virus transmission," said Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general at the World Health Organization.
"Human resources are clearly our most important need. We need most especially compassionate doctors and nurses, who will know how to comfort patients despite the barriers of wearing personal protective equipment and working under very demanding conditions," she added.
The White House has said it will send a further 65 experts from the public health service corps to Liberia to assist staff and help in the care of health workers who have been infected by the disease. More than 400,000 Liberian families are set to receive Ebola prevention kits, including disinfectant and advice.
"What is clear is in order to combat and contain the outbreak at its source, we need to partner and lead an international response," said one senior official who wasn't named.
The U.S. has so far spent $100 million in the battle against Ebola, while the Agency for International Development has pledged another $75 million for treatment units in the affected countries.
Obama revealed last week that members of the U.S. military will be going into West Africa, noting that the situation remains a serious national security concern.
CNN noted that a big concern for doctors is the possibility of the virus to mutate into a more dangerous form. Health experts have warned that a mutation that allows the virus to spread through air would "pose a catastrophic threat to human populations worldwide."
In a previous interview Obama said that Americans are praying for the people of West Africa.
"Stopping this disease won't be easy, but we know how to do it," the president said. "You are not alone. Together, we can treat those who are sick with respect and dignity, we can save lives, and our countries can work together to improve public health so this kind of outbreak doesn't happen again."
