Dear Colleagues,
The Ministries of Health in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone continue to report new cases and deaths attributable to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Between 7 and 11 August 2014, 197 new cases (laboratory-confirmed, probable, and suspected cases) of EVD and 108 deaths were reported. As of August 11, 2014, suspected and confirmed cases totaled 1,975 and suspected case deaths have reached 1,069.
Last week the WHO officially declared the current Ebola outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The WHO has since determined that, due the circumstances of the outbreak, it is ethical to offer unproven interventions that have not yet been evaluated for safety and efficacy in human beings as potential treatment or prevention. The WHO plans to convene a meeting to address the ethical criteria for fair distribution of these treatments.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a warning for U.S. citizens against non-essential travel to Liberia and has ordered the departure of family members residing with Embassy staff in Monrovia. USAID is also currently directing all USAID contractors operating within Liberia to evacuate all dependents of American citizens and third-country national staff. Dependents are being evacuated due to the inability of the health care system in Liberia to accommodate normal health care needs and not because of risk of exposure to the Ebola virus.
USAID is continuing program operations in Ebola-affected countries and has made no coordinated move to redirect program activities. In response to the Ebola crisis, USAID has activated a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART). The DART will coordinate planning, operations, logistics, and administrative issues of interagency efforts. The U.S. CDC will staff public health and medical response positions on the DART.
Please review the attached document for answers to frequently asked questions about Ebola Virus Disease. The virus is hard to contract if precautions are followed, because it is only carried through bodily fluids, including blood and saliva.
Please email David Rolph, our director of Global Security, david_rolph@abtassoc.com and cc Sarah Dedic, sarah_dedic@abtassoc.com with any questions you have about the status of the outbreak. They are in constant touch with government agencies and industry colleagues.
Best,
Jay
Jay L. Knott | Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer | Abt Associates
O: 301-347-5896| F: 301-828-9739 | www.abtassociates.com
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