Global Health Experts Express Concern Over Trump Administration’s Response To DRC Ebola Outbreak, First In War Zone

Vox: Trump officials have barred health experts from helping end one of the worst Ebola outbreaks in history
“One of the largest Ebola outbreaks in history shows no signs of slowing — and the Trump administration barred U.S. health experts who want to help at the outbreak’s epicenter in the Democratic Republic of Congo from traveling there. … Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials were working in Beni, the city that’s ground zero for the outbreak in eastern DRC, for a few days in late August and early September. … But then the White House’s National Security Council (NSC) coordinated a government review of the security risks, involving representatives from multiple government agencies and departments. The review determined that CDC officials could not return to areas where militant attacks threaten security, including Beni. … The relatively tepid response from the U.S., at a time when the outbreak is spiraling, has former CDC officials and global health experts concerned…” (Belluz/Ward, 10/26).

WIRED: An Ebola Outbreak In A War Zone Is About As Bad As It Gets
“…Right now the DRC is experiencing a world-first: an Ebola outbreak in a war zone. While disease hunters have learned a lot from previous tragedies, like the … outbreak that killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa, this is the one scenario no one’s been able to prepare for. … Despite the setbacks, health workers have so far succeeded in vaccinating more than 20,000 people, according to the WHO’s latest numbers. … Although the WHO has not yet declared the latest Ebola outbreak an international public health emergency, its latest report warned that the volatile security situation is making the risk of disease spread to neighboring countries very high…” (Molteni, 10/25).

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