The Wildlife Camp , Zambia, August 2014 by divineorder
Our two and a half months
camping in three countries in southern Africa recently was awesome as usual. We had amazing wildlife sightings and scenery, met interesting people and took wonderful photos. A real adventure for we retired HS teachers, but working to stay healthy while there is always a big job and concern.
So naturally we research CDC before we go, and look do news searches for recent developments in the beautiful countries where we travel.
After a fabulous couple of weeks camping at Cape Maclear, a designated UN World Heritage Site on Lake Malawi, we headed to Zambia and at the immigration office there first got the news of an Ebola outbreak in the form of a poster outlining symptoms etc. Naturally we have been following it with interest ever since.
We are big United Nation supporters. (While teaching HS in Austin, TX, we took students to the UN headquarters in NYC twice and represented an international children's organization at the Forum Global in Rio during UNCED, aka 'The Earth Summit.')
In Google News this am:
Voice Of America
News / USA
UN Chief Calls for 'Twentyfold' Increase in Ebola Response
VOA News
Last updated on: October 09, 2014 12:11 PM
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the world needs a "twentyfold resource mobilization" to deal with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Ban spoke Thursday in Washington at a World Bank meeting on Ebola that included participation by high-level officials and the presidents of the hardest-hit nations -- Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone -- via videoconference.
Ban said a "surge in assistance" should include mobile labs, vehicles, helicopters, protective equipment, trained medical personnel, and medical evacuation capacities.
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim told the group that unless the Ebola virus outbreak is contained and stopped quickly, "nothing less than the future of Africa is at stake."
There's more at the
link above.
US Efforts
Recently I posted about ramped up US efforts re Ebola in Hope! US Military to Lead US Ebola Efforts
Press Release from the WhiteHouse this week
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
October 06, 2014
FACT SHEET: The U.S. Response to the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa
Funding for Aid and the recent Deficit Scare-mongering
I think we can do much more. Contrary to what we have seen about the deficit from both parties over the last decade we still can find metric f#cktons of money. Here's an example of rapid response to needs (of war profiteers):
Just three days after Washington took the war to Syria a fortnight ago, the Pentagon signed a $251 million dollar contract with Raytheon Co to replace the 47 cruise missiles fired in the opening barrage.This week came news that Apache helicopters (manufactured by Boeing) armed with Hellfire missiles (Lockheed Martin) have been thrown into the fray outside Baghdad.
Read more: http://www.theweek.co.uk/...
So the money can be found, will we continue to answer the call for those suffering so much in western Africa ? I hope so!
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Of course electing better Dems / GOTV will be key to sustain our efforts in support of health care both here and over there.
As always, your comments appreciated...