September 17, 2014
Mariah Timms
News Writer
World News
President Obama urged the world to act in response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. After a meeting at the CDC in Atlanta, Obama spoke to reporters, saying it was the responsibility of all nations to assist as possible in stemming the epidemic. This plea comes as American military involvement in the area is dramatically heightened. This campaign is multi-focused, but will set up 17 treatment centers and train about 500 health-care workers a week in Senegal alone. Cultural practices, such as washing the body after death, have led in part to the rapid spread of the disease. Many trained health workers just do not have the supplies to adequately protect themselves and others or treat the disease properly yet. The WHO estimates a need for $1 billion in assistance, and reports that as of September 13, at least 4,985 people have been infected, and at least 2,461 of them have died. The World Bank approved a $105 million emergency grant Tuesday.
