at the outbreak sites see evidence that the number of reported cases and deaths vastly underestimate the magnitude of the outbreak. In addition to Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, Nigeria now has 12 confirmed Ebola cases, and it has placed 200 people under surveillance. Kenya has announced it has closed its borders to travelers from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Kenyan Airways is stopping flights to those countries as of this coming Wednesday. The WHO says Kenya is at high risk, because it is a major transport hub. Korean Air will end operations on Kenya on Aug. 20. Airlines from Gambia, Togo, and Nigeria have already stopped flying to the Ebola-hit states. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) president Joanne Liu said Aug. 15 there is a wartime situation which is deteriorating faster, and moving faster, than we can respond to. She said it will take at least six months to get on top of the situation at this rate. She urged more health care workers and food and medical supplies are needed right away: It needs to happen now if we want to contain this epidemic. Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma said the countrys only two treatment centers were overwhelmed. He said rural areas affected with Ebola are being cordoned off by the military, but that they now faced serious food shortages. The countrys information minister stated: We can establish as many check- points as we want, but if we cannot get the food and the medical supplies into affected communities, they will leave. We cant ask our people to starve. Liberia has also deployed troops to cordon off the tri-state border zone which has the highest rates of contagion. Reuters reports that Liberia has one doctor per 70,000 people; Sierra Leone has one per 45,000. That compares to one per 360 in Britain and one for 410 in the U.S.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 16:43:14 +0000
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