Israel is again volunteering its expertise by joining the global effort to suppress the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.
Israel is joining the international coalition that is fighting the rapidly spreading Ebola virus in Africa and will dispatch three mobile emergency clinics to areas in western and central Africa, where there is a high Ebola risk, the Foreign Ministry announced Sunday.
The Foreign Ministry stated that in response to requests by many governments, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Director-General of the World Health Organization as well as Israeli and international aid organizations, they have decided to increase Israel’s contribution to the international effort to prevent the spreading of the Ebola epidemic.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has authorized MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, to send three mobile emergency clinics.
The clinics, which were manufactured in Israel, are built in accordance with standards and guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the treatment of Ebola.
A staff of medical experts will be attached to each clinic, and they will train the local practitioners in the operation of the clinic and its equipment. In addition, staff training will focus on preventing the spread of the disease and raising awareness among populations with high potential for infection.
An Israeli team has already been sent to Cameroon, where it was favorably received by the local authorities. The Foreign Ministry has further sent emergency equipment to the government of Sierra Leone, and in recent weeks shipped personal protection equipment to teams of the African Union.
The Ebola virus broke out in western Africa in December 2013; by September 2014, the cases of Ebola from this single outbreak exceeded the total of all cases from previous outbreaks. As of October 1, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local governments reported a total of 7,492 suspected cases and 3,439 deaths.
Many countries have sent teams to fight the outbreak, and now Israel is joining the battle, at the behest of these countries.
Provider of Global Assistance
Israel has a long history of leading humanitarian, medical and logistical assistance to countries in distress around the world, including to tornado victims in Oklahoma, typhoon refuges in the Philippines and earthquake casualties in Haiti.
Author: Aryeh Savir
Staff Writer, United with Israel
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