International medical experts sent to combat Ebola in West Africa

Ebola Outbreak

With European Union officials set to meet on Monday, Germany’s foreign minister suggested the EU could send a team of medical and logistical experts to West Africa to combat the Ebola outbreak. CCTV America’s Jessica Stone reports.

Over the weekend, the World Health Organization said it would compile its own report on the global reaction in West Africa, after coming under criticism for a slow response to the rapid spread of the disease.

Nearly a month into the outbreak in the United States, the U.S. military is now preparing a 30-member medical rapid response team.

Chinese medical experts work in Sierra Leone on virus analysis

Since the killer virus was first diagnosed in Liberia in March, the epidemic has killed 4,555 people in the world’s worst outbreak on record so far. Chinese disease control experts are joining the international effort in West Africa to curb the Ebola epidemic. Experts are working in mobile labs in Sierra Leone, which is one of the three hardest-hit West African countries in the outbreak, to help analyze samples of the killer virus. CCTV’s Hu Chuqiao reports.

Currently 59 Chinese disease control experts are in West Africa for virus detection efforts, and more experts are coming.

On Friday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said China will provide over 100 million RMB ($16.3 million) worth of additional aid, including 60 ambulances, 100 motorcycles, 10,000 prevention care packages and 150,000 sets of personal protective equipment.

African Union sends 600 more medical staff to the Ebola epidemic front-line

African nations are also ramping up their response to Ebola. This week, the African Union made a plea for its members to send medical staff. More than 600 medics will come from East Africa.

A 32-year-old nurse, Audrey Rangel, arrived at an Ebola treatment unit in central Liberia six weeks ago. It’s run by the NGO International Medical Corps and funded by the United States.

Rangel has worked as a nurse across the world in challenging environments, but this is the first time she’s worked in an epidemic. Much of her job is basic nursing, such as cleaning up patients and administering medicine and getting messages to patients from loved ones outside.

CCTV America’s Katerina Vittozzi reports from central Liberia.

To talk more about the Ebola epidemic, CCTV America spoke with Joel Selanikio. He’s the co-founder and CEO of Magpi, a data collection and communication company. He’s also a former epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.