Ethiopia to send 200 health staff for Ebola relief effort

The deployment of doctors, nurses, field epidemiologists, environmental health personnel and public health specialists follows an appeal made last week by AU chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for volunteers to help tackle Ebola's spread in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

 

An AU statement said the Ethiopian volunteers "will engage in Ebola case management and treatment, surveillance, contact tracing, social mobilisation, and community engagement", and will also assist in maintaining "basic health, food, water and sanitation services".

 

Dlamini-Zuma, currently touring west Africa, has already said African nations have already pledged to send around 1,000 workers. A lack of skilled medical staff has been one of the major obstacles in the battle against Ebola.

 

The west Africa outbreak began in Guinea in December 2013 and has claimed almost 4,900 lives. -AFP