Dear Colleagues,
The number of Ebola cases in West Africa has doubled in the past three weeks. The World Health Organization recently reported a total of 4,975 cases and 2,461 deaths attributable to Ebola. The speed and scale of the outbreak is having a profound economic, social, political and security impact on Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. These countries continue to be desperately short of the equipment and medical personnel needed to contain Ebola.
In Sierra Leone, the government has called for a three-day lockdown in an attempt to control the virus. The lockdown will ban all outdoor movement and activities, confining citizens to their homes. Health workers will go house-to-house identifying cases and raising awareness. Transmission remains localized in Nigeria and 470 contacts have completed the 21-day surveillance period - 402 contacts are still being monitored. In Senegal, where there have been no further suspected cases of Ebola, 74 contacts are under surveillance.
This week, the United Nations has announced it will need nearly $1 billion to contain the Ebola crisis in West Africa. The Obama administration has reacted by dramatically expanding American response efforts. Among other measures, the plan calls for sending 3,000 troops into the region, establishing a regional command and control center in Monrovia, building 17 treatment centers in Liberia with 100 beds each, placing U.S. Public Health Service personnel in new field hospitals in Liberia, training thousands of healthcare workers, and developing an air bridge to get workers and supplies into West Africa more quickly.
Although it is unclear when all of the personnel and equipment will be on the ground, officials expect to have the first treatment centers open in a few weeks. USAID is anticipated to deliver 50,000 home health care kits to households in Liberia beginning this week. Other nations, including Cuba, China, France and Britain; have pledged medical workers, health centers and other forms of support.
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.
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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