HEALTH-EBOLA/SIERRA LEONE-MILIBAND IRC's Miliband says global and local efforts vital in tackling Ebola

Record ID: 565599

  • Title: HEALTH-EBOLA/SIERRA LEONE-MILIBAND IRC's Miliband says global and local efforts vital in tackling Ebola
  • Date: 9th October 2014
  • Summary: FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE (OCTOBER 9, 2014) (REUTERS) DAVID MILIBAND WALKING DOWN STEPS TO VISIT THE HEALTH TRAINING HALL WELCOME OF DAVID MILIBAND AT THE ENTRANCE OF TRAINING CENTRE OF HEALTH WORKERS BY A TRAINING SUPERVISOR VARIOUS OF MILIBAND WASHING HIS HANDS BEFORE ENTERING THE TRAINING CENTRE TRAINER EXPLAINING TO DAVID MILIBAND IN THE TRAINING OF HEALTH WORKERS TRAINER REMOVING APRON FROM PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) MILIBAND TALKING TO TRAINERS IN WHITE PPE MORE OF MILIBAND SPEAKING TO TRAINER TRAINERS IN WHITE PPE BEING SHOWN HOW TO WASH THEIR HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID MILIBAND SAYING: "What we should do is recognise this for what it is - a real danger to tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands in West Africans, that's it's preventable in terms of its spread by basic risk management measures and for which isolation and treatment does offer a chance of respite. What's absolutely key is that this isn't allowed to ravage the whole of West Africa which is in prospect if there isn't a combination of a global response and local infection prevention." MILIBAND WALKING TOWARDS BUILDING OF THE COMMAND CENTRE OF THE DISTRICT HEALTH MANAGEMENT TEAM TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR DAILY ACTIVITIES MILIBAND INSIDE COMMAND CENTRE
  • Embargoed: 24th October 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Sierra Leone
  • Country: Sierra Leone
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAANT3AT8QV54JVMA9FBSQQ4YLQ
  • Story Text: International Rescue Committee (IRC) president and CEO David Miliband on Thursday (October 9) said global and local efforts are vital to battling the deadly Ebola virus.
    The former British foreign secretary visited a centre for health workers in the Sierra Leone capital of Freetown.
    Ebola has killed more than 3,400 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and its spread has become a global concern.
    Miliband spoke with health workers, donning protective suits, who explained the various steps taken to protect themselves.
    "What we should do is recognise this for what it is - a real danger to tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands in West Africans, that's it's preventable in terms of its spread by basic risk management measures and for which isolation and treatment does offer a chance of respite. What's absolutely key is that this isn't allowed to ravage the whole of West Africa which is in prospect if there isn't a combination of a global response and local infection prevention," Miliband said.
    He also visited a command centre in another part of Freetown where a "command centre" has been set up.
    Miliband did not speak to the burial teams, which had recently ended their strike over the non-payment of their weekly risk allowances.
    Britain announced on Wednesday (October 8) it is sending extra troops, aircraft and a naval vessel to Sierra Leone to help stem the spread of the Ebola virus.
    More than 700 military personnel from Britain will travel to Sierra Leone next week to help establish treatment centres and a training facility. Three helicopters and a 100-bed naval hospital will also be sent to the region.
    Alpha Kanu, Sierra Leone's information minister, welcomed the pledge, saying Britain had reassured the government during a recent London donors' conference that it would not abandon the former colony.
    Around 40 British military personnel, including engineers and planners, are currently in Sierra Leone overseeing the construction of a treatment center near Freetown.
    Britain had already pledged to send 100 field hospital staff to Sierra Leone and plans to build at least five treatment centres in the country with a total of 700 beds.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register