HHS Secretary Azar To Lead U.S. Delegation To DRC, Neighboring Countries To Assess Ebola Outbreak; Insecurity Continues To Hinder Response

CIDRAP News: Azar, Redfield among U.S. officials heading to DRC to assess Ebola
“[Tuesday] Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar announced that he and a number of other top U.S. health officials will be traveling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries in the coming days to gauge the Ebola outbreak in the region, the world’s second largest in history…” (Soucheray, 9/10).
 
Homeland Preparedness News: USAID provides more than $21M in additional aid for Ebola fight in DRC
“Ebola containment efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will now be bolstered by $21 million in additional humanitarian assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)…” (Galford, 9/10).
 
Nature: Exclusive: Behind the front lines of the Ebola wars
“How the World Health Organization is battling bullets, politics and a deadly virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo…” (Maxmen, 9/11).
 
NPR: In Congo, Ebola Is Just One More Thing To Worry About
“…The insecurity in this part of Congo, along with the government’s inability to provide the most basic of services, have made people suspicious of efforts to ward off the virus — and fueled conspiracy theories about the Ebola crisis…” (Peralta, 9/10).
 
STAT: Azar, other top Trump officials to travel to DRC to assess Ebola crisis
“…The mission, announced Tuesday, marks Azar’s first trip to the region since the start of the outbreak. He will be accompanied by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who has previously traveled to the outbreak zone. … Also accompanying Azar will be Tim Ziemer, senior deputy assistant administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and staff of the National Security Council. The group will travel to northeastern DRC, where the outbreak has been underway for over a year, and to the neighboring countries of Uganda and Rwanda…” (Branswell, 9/10).

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