The first contingent of the US mission to provide support and resources to combat the ebola epidemic in West Africa has arrived on the ground in Liberia and work is getting underway. The first cargo plane arrived on Sept. 18th. Here is a status report on their activities.
US Military to Put up Tent at Liberia Ebola Clinic
Poor infrastructure, difficulties with equipment and torrential rains have slowed work for the U.S. military's initial response to the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa, but it is now ready to start erecting the main tent for a field hospital in Liberia.
Lt. Col. Jason Brown, who was at the site near the airport in the capital Monrovia, said work is supposed to begin Monday afternoon on the main structure of the 25-bed clinic that will treat health care workers infected with Ebola. It should be ready to accept patients at the end of the month, according to spokesman Chuck Prichard at the U.S. military's Africa Command.
"Every time it rains it slows things down," said Brown, noting that construction for the field hospital was supposed to begin Monday morning and has been pushed to the afternoon. Military teams have also been slowed by equipment that's broken down — including the steering on a road grader — or mix-ups in the delivery of supplies.
On any construction job, there are delays, Brown said, but Liberia presents added challenges.
"Imagine those same frustrations multiplied by a country that has challenges with their infrastructure and challenges with the schedule," he said. But, he said, engineers from the Army, Navy and Marines "have workarounds and solutions for everything."
Clearly they face many challenges. This map is a fairly recent view of the area of the West African coast where the disease is at epidemic proportions.
As far as I can determine the US military is only active in Liberia at present. There is a story out today about the problems encountered in the distribution of aid supplies next door in Sierra Leone.
Ebola Help for Sierra Leone Is Nearby, but Delayed on the Docks
It has been sitting idly on the docks for nearly two months: a shipping container packed with protective gowns, gloves, stretchers, mattresses and other medical supplies needed to help fight Sierra Leone’s exploding Ebola epidemic.
In many ways, the delay reflects what some in the growing ranks of international officials pouring into this nation to fight Ebola describe as a chaotic, disorganized government response to the epidemic.
“It’s a mess,” said one foreign official working alongside the Sierra Leone government agency set up to deal with the crisis. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to maintain vital relations with the government, said that nobody appeared to be in charge at the agency, known as the “emergency operations center,” and that different factions made decisions independently.
The article indicates that at least part of the problem is a political dispute over assigning blame for the epidemic.
Sending aid and support to West Africa is not just a matter of humanitarian assistance for sick people in those countries. According to public health authorities, it represents the most likely effective strategy in stopping the spread of the disease beyond the immediate region. In a world with global travel networks industrialized countries have never been able to just pull up the draw bridge and keep infectious disease from crossing the border. Republican politicians are trying to beat that drum.
Relief efforts for disasters such as earthquakes and storms often encounter various problems of coordination and political conflict. Even when such events cause major devastation and loss of life, they are not ongoing. Things eventually get cleaned up and relief agencies pack up and go home. An epidemic of these proportions is a different matter. Bringing it under control will require more than just building temporary hospitals and clinics. Beyond treating the people who are seriously ill it will be necessary to take protective measures for people who are not yet infected. That will not be a simple task in countries that often lack the most basic elements of public health infrastructure such and sanitation.
The story about Sierra Leone points to the kind of political problems that are complicating the situation. The Liberian government seems to be generally welcoming the US military mission. I am looking for more information about the situation in the neighboring countries.