Europe

EU boosts anti-Ebola aid after Commissioners' mission to worst-hit countries

Wed, 2014-11-19 02:13 — mike kraft

EUROPEAN COMMISSION HUMANITARIAN AID DEPARTMENT Nov. 17, 2014

The European Union is continuing to scale up its response to the Ebola epidemic as its Coordinator for the emergency, Commissioner Christos Stylianides together with Vytenis Andriukaitis, Commissioner for Health, return from a four-day mission to the affected countries.

New funding of €29 million will be made available by the European Commissionfor transporting vital aid supplies and equipment to the affected countries, evacuation of infected international aid workers to hospitals in Europe and training and deploying health workers to the ground. Money will also reinforce local health facilities.

Of this total, €12 million is for assistance to the neighbours of the affected countries, to help them prepare for the risk of an Ebola outbreak through early detection and public awareness measures.

... The European Union's total contribution is close to €1.1 billion.

Sweden has announced that it will deploy, via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, 42 doctors, nurses and other health personnel who will run a treatment centre on the ground.

Read complete story

Country / Region Tags:

General Topic Tags:

Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?:

Situation Report

Read more about EU boosts anti-Ebola aid after Commissioners' mission to worst-hit countries
Log in or register to post comments

The toll of a tragedy

Sun, 2014-11-02 21:47 — Maeryn Obley

An infographic of the toll of the Ebola outbreak.

Image: An infographic of the toll of the Ebola outbreak.

economist.com - October 31st 2014

The first reported case in the Ebola outbreak ravaging west Africa dates back to December 2013, in Guéckédou, a forested area of Guinea near the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone. Travellers took it across the border: by late March, Liberia had reported eight suspected cases and Sierra Leone six. By the end of June 759 people had been infected and 467 people had died from the disease, making this the worst ever Ebola outbreak.

(VIEW COMPLETE ARTICLE AND FULL SIZE INFOGRAPHIC)

Country / Region Tags:

General Topic Tags:

Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?:

Problem

Read more about The toll of a tragedy
Log in or register to post comments

Ebola outbreak could be 'definitive humanitarian disaster of our generation', warns Oxfam

Sat, 2014-10-18 19:49 — mike kraft

THE INDEPENDENT OCT. 18, 2014

LONDON ---Ebola is poised to become the “definitive humanitarian disaster of our generation", Oxfam has warned, with more troops, funding and medical aid urgently needed to tackle the outbreak.

In an "extremely rare" move, the charity is calling for military intervention to provide logistical support across West Africa.

It says the world has less than two months to counter the spread of the deadly virus, which means addressing a "crippling shortfall" in military personnel.

Oxfam’s call for more troops comes after UN chief Ban Ki-Moon criticised countries he said were able to provide financial support to the crisis for not doing so.
Read Full story

Country / Region Tags:

General Topic Tags:

Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?:

Problem

Situation Report

Read more about Ebola outbreak could be 'definitive humanitarian disaster of our generation', warns Oxfam
Log in or register to post comments

France announces Ebola screenings at Paris airport

Thu, 2014-10-16 15:10 — mike kraft

FRANCE 4 INTERNATIONAL NEWS OCT. 16, 2014

PARIS French health officials tday said screening measures for Ebola among passengers arriving from Guinea would start Saturday at Charles de Gualle airport in Paris.

France became the fourth country –after Britain, the United States and Canada–to announce screening checks for the virus at its main international airport, as the United Nations warned Ebola was outpacing efforts to combat the epidemic.

The announcement came as Spanish authorities said they had isolated an Air France plane at Madrid airport and activated emergency health procedures after one of the passengers was reported to have a fever and shivers in what is being treated as a suspected Ebola case, officials said Thursday.

... French President François Hollande held a video conference Wednesday with his US counterpart Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Italian premier Matteo Renzi to discuss their response to the virus.

EU health ministers are meeting in Brussels on Thursday to discuss measures to deal with the epidemic....

See full story

http://www.france24.com/en/20141016-ebola-france-airport-screening-eu-health/

Country / Region Tags:

General Topic Tags:

Disaster Risk Reduction

Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?:

Situation Report

Read more about France announces Ebola screenings at Paris airport
Log in or register to post comments

UK to introduce Ebola screening as death of Briton reported in Macedonia

Fri, 2014-10-10 00:30 — mike kraft

THE GUARDIAN Oct. 9, 2014

By Robert Booth

London --Travellers arriving at Heathrow and Gatwick airports from west Africa are to be screened for symptoms of Ebola, Downing Street announced on Thursday night after a day of confusion over the government’s response to the virus that has claimed more than 3,800 lives.

People travelling from the worst-affected countries – Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea – will face a questionnaire about their recent travel history, who they have been in contact with and their onward travel arrangements.

People travelling from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea will be screened for Ebola symptoms.Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Country / Region Tags:

General Topic Tags:

Disaster Risk Reduction

Health

Pandemics

Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?:

Solutions

Situation Report

Read more about UK to introduce Ebola screening as death of Briton reported in Macedonia
Log in or register to post comments

European Leaders Scramble to Upgrade Response to Ebola Crisis

Thu, 2014-10-09 14:30 — mike kraft

NEW YORK TIMES

By ANDREW HIGGINS OCT. 9, 2014

BRUSSELS — When the Ebolavirus was first identified in March as the cause of a series of mysterious deaths in the remote forests of Guinea, Europe moved quickly to battle a disease that has now infected more than 7,000 Africans and already killed around half of those. It mobilized more money and health workers than the United States, China or anyone else for West Africa.

But, proud of its long record as the world’s biggest donor of humanitarian aid, Europe has since suffered a blow to its self-image of can-do generosity. Its own efforts to contain the lethal virus have been overshadowed by President Obama’s announcement last month that he was sending 3,000 troops to West Africa to build hospitals and otherwise help in the fight against Ebola.

Country / Region Tags:

General Topic Tags:

Disaster Risk Reduction

Disease

Health

Pandemics

Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?:

Problem

Situation Report

Read more about European Leaders Scramble to Upgrade Response to Ebola Crisis
Log in or register to post comments

West Africa: Companies Fill Gaps in Ebola Response

Thu, 2014-10-09 02:03 — mike kraft

All Africa Oct. 7, 2014

New York dateline article by Tami Hultman contains a description of what some companies are doing to help counter the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

ArceloMittal employee in Liberia

Photo: Tami Hultman/AllAfrica

The story described contacts with various companies and said:

"The prompt corporate response is the result of a months-long preparatory process to coordinate actions that began with aggressive programs information and education programs. Since March, when the Ebola threat re-emerged in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, after a relatively small rural outbreak earlier in the year, companies with operations in the area had been preparing for an emerging crisis."

Country / Region Tags:

General Topic Tags: