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Fighting Ebola In West Africa

Ebola has claimed just one life in the United States – but more than 5,000 in Africa. Clearly, the world community should unite to stop the disease in its tracks there, before true epidemics spread to other continents.

Americans should be asking ourselves if our government is acting effectively or politically in that campaign. President Barack Obama insists his administration is taking decisive steps to battle Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

That probably is not true. One White House plan, to send as many as 4,000 U.S. service men and women to West Africa to build health care facilities, seems intended to impress the world community with our concern – rather than to make an impact. Hundreds of U.S. troops already are in the hot zone.

U.S. money to pay West Africans to do the work themselves probably would accomplish more good.

Unemployment and what Americans would consider under-employment is rampant in the three affected countries. All three combined have a gross domestic product of approximately what West Virginians spend on our state government each year.

It is nearly inconceivable that enough workers, made eager for the jobs at high wages paid out of U.S. funds, could not be found to do the same work in which American troops are engaged.

Some U.S. military personnel may be needed in West Africa, for tasks such as training local health care workers on specialized equipment. Keeping their number low lessens the risk of spreading the epidemic.

What about equipment and trained health care workers to staff the hospitals? Obama has said little about that. Clearly, the administration should be engaged in a massive effort to provide health care supplies and equipment to West Africa.

As for health care workers, the White House has concentrated on condemning local and state measures such as quarantines to ensure Americans returning from West Africa do not bring Ebola here. Instead, it should be setting up a national containment program to do that job more effectively and with less inconvenience to U.S. doctors and nurses thinking of volunteering their services – and taking the big risk – of battling Ebola in Africa.

Since Ebola was discovered in 1976, the total death toll from it has been less than half the number killed in this year’s epidemic. Instead of worrying about politics and diplomacy – America’s image – Obama should be doing more to contain the disease.

NEWSLETTER

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