On October, 05 2014 by i24news
MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, will send three mobile emergency clinics to areas in western Africa where there is a high risk of infection with Ebola.
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, the Foreign Ministry has 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 to areas in western Africa where there is a risk of infection with Ebola.
The clinics, which were manufactured in Israel, were built in accordance with standards and guidelines of the World Health Organization 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 MFA also sent emergency equipment to the government of Sierra Leone, and in recent weeks shipped personal protection equipment to teams of the African Union.
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29 Sep 2014
At a special UN Security Council meeting on the Ebola crisis Ambassador Ron Prosor stated that Israel stands ready to join an international task force to combat the Ebola outbreak.
Amb Prosor addresses Security Council on the Ebola crisis
During the Security Council meeting, Ambassador Ron Prosor, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated that “The suffering in West Africa is immense. The Ebola epidemic has killed thousands of people and new cases are being reported daily. We must never lose sight of the fact that behind every statistic is a person who is suffering with a family that is also suffering.
“Israel stands ready to join an international task force to combat the Ebola outbreak. In the meantime, we have sent emergency funding to Sierra Leone and medical supplies to Ethiopia. We have also coordinated with the World Health Organization and sent experts in public health and infectious diseases to Cameroon. They have trained dozens of doctors, nurses and other medical staff from six different hospitals on how to prevent and contain the disease. Israeli NGOs are now preparing to send another team to Sierra Leone.”
“The time for global action is now. Tens of thousands of lives and the future of West Africa hang in the balance. Every country, no matter how small, has a role to play in combating the Ebola epidemic. We are standing at a crossroad. In our generation global health and development goals that once seemed unattainable are now within our reach.”
