African Nations Working to Lift Ebola Travel Bans
Timing Is Up to Countries Themselves, African Union Chairwoman Says
By Matina Stevis
NAIROBI—Some African countries have agreed to lift travel bans on people arriving from Ebola-hit nations, the African Union's top official said on Monday, in a step to ease the economic pain the virus has brought to the continent.
Speaking to reporters following a meeting in Addis Ababa, African Union Chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said it was up to the countries themselves to lift the ban that critics say is isolating the affected nations. She said thorough border checks for people displaying Ebola-like symptoms should replace blanket bans of those arriving from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
South Africa and Kenya have put such bans in place, effectively isolating the three West African nations battling Ebola, as O.R. Tambo Airport in Johannesburg and Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi are the continent's two major transportation hubs.
"We are not working on schedules, whether you will lift [the ban] tomorrow or this evening. We are working on principle decisions, which we expect our member states to implement," Dr. Dlamini Zuma said. "The decision was that it must be urgently done."
A spokesman for the South African health ministry said there was no plan to lift the ban as of yet, but that could change in coming days. A spokesman for the Kenyan government didn't immediately respond to calls for comment.
The World Health Organization and other international groups dealing with the epidemic have criticized the travel bans for deepening the isolation and negative economic impact for affected countries.
On Monday, 11 chief executives of mining companies—which operate in West Africa—issued a joint plea for more assistance to quash the epidemic and not perpetuate the isolation of the countries involved through travel bans.
"Without the support of the international community, the situation for these economies, many of whom are only beginning to return to stability after decades of civil war, will be even more catastrophic," the executives warned.
The meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, was meant to carve out a continentwide response to the virus outbreak that has claimed more than 2,000 lives since it re-emerged in April. Yet there were no specific announcements about additional funding from AU member states to fight the disease, in contrast to major pledges from other foreign governments.
The U.S. on Friday pledged some $100 million to help fight the virus in West Africa, whereas the European Union said it would contribute about $180 million.
The U.S. military on Monday said it would provide a field hospital to Liberia, along with supplies to help medical workers combating the outbreak.
The field hospital—in essence a large tent with medical supplies—isn't yet on its way and Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said he didn't know when it would arrive.
"It is a top priority," he said.
The tent isn't meant for treating Ebola patients, defense officials said. Instead the tent, which was requested by the U.S. Agency for International Development, will be used to provide care for medical workers in Monrovia, Liberia, who are treating Ebola patients.
The tent will be transported and set up by U.S. military personnel, but it won't be staffed by American service members.
"The department will set it up, stockpile it, and then turn it over to the government of Liberia for their use," Col. Warren said. "The intent of this piece of equipment is to provide a facility that health-care workers in the affected region can use for themselves if they become ill or injured."
Col. Warren said the tent would be a donation and the U.S. probably wouldn't ask for it back once the outbreak is contained.
The military is spending $22 million from its Overseas Humanitarian Disaster and Civic Aid funds to pay for the hospital tent, supplies and setup, he said.
U.S. President Barack Obama said Sunday that troops would be deployed to assist in controlling the spread of the epidemic in West Africa. He told NBC News that containing Ebola should be a national-security priority.
—Julian E. Barnes in Washington contributed to this article.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/
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