Obama announces U.S. aid for Ebola outbreak
September 17, 2014
| President Barack Obama addressed the nation about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa on September 16, 2014. |
Atlanta, Georgia: President Barack Obama announced the deployment of 3,000 military personnel and requested $500 million in aid to West African countries for the containment of the most deadly Ebola virus outbreak in history.[1][2]
In addition to the military aid, the president promised an "air bridge," of open transportation between the affected area and the United States through which supplies could be sent to West Africa.[3] The administration also planned the building of 17 100-bed hospitals to be used to treat more patients, training of 500 more West African medical care professionals per week as well as providing local African populations basic health kits.[4] The $500 million was requested from the Overseas Contingency Operation meaning Congress has the ability to object but does not need to pass legislation approving the funding.[2]
Only two American citizens have been infected by the Ebola virus while serving with religious organizations in Africa. Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly were flown back to the U.S. under quarantine and treated for the virus, both surviving.[5] Dr. Brantly then testified before Congress regarding the disease, conditions in Africa and the need for action. He also stated his desire to return to help those still infected, "Lord willing."[6]
In March 2014, medical experts announced an outbreak of the virus in Guinea, which killed 78 people between January and April 2014.[7] In the following months, the virus spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia in what the World Health Organization (WHO) described could result in more than 20,000 deaths.[8][9] By June 2014, the outbreak had become the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record. By the end of August 2014, the outbreak had spread to Nigeria and Senegal.[10] Numerous African countries have shut down borders and halted international travel as a precaution against the virus.[11]
See also
|
- West African Ebola outbreak, 2014
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Tom Frieden
- Barack Obama
Footnotes
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedthehill300 - ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Hill, "White House to request $500M to fight Ebola," September 16, 2014
- ↑ The Hill, "Obama at CDC warns Ebola outbreak ‘spiraling out of control’," September 16, 2014
- ↑ The Guardian, "Obama to announce Ebola force of 3,000 US military personnel," September 16, 2014
- ↑ WJLA, "Nancy Writebol and Kent Brantly, U.S. aid workers with Ebola, released from Atlanta hospital," August 21, 2014
- ↑ L.A. Times, "Ebola survivor Kent Brantly hopes to return to Africa, 'Lord willing'," September 17, 2014
- ↑ The Guardian, "Guinea's Ebola outbreak: what is the virus and what's being done?" April 1, 2014
- ↑ The Guardian, "First Ebola case in Senegal confirmed," August 29, 2014
- ↑ The Guardian, "Ebola cases in west Africa could rise to 20,000 says WHO," August 28, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Tracing the rise of Ebola in West Africa," September 16, 2014
- ↑ The Guardian, "West Africa in quarantine: Ebola, closed borders and travel bans," August 22, 2014
