Disaster & Humanitarian Relief Archive

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November 20, 2014

EBOLA EPIDEMIC
The West African Ebola outbreak is the deadliest in history. Since last March, more than 20,000 people in Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone have contracted Ebola. This viral disease has also taken the lives of more than 6,000 people and 400 health care workers. UNICEF estimates that nearly 4,000 children have been orphaned by Ebola. UNICEF is airlifting essential supplies, distributing vital health information and caring for children and families. Doctors Without Borders has sent 700 doctors and aid workers from around the world to Ebola-stricken countries in West Africa. Of those, about 270 are currently working in this region. Our government is fast-tracking the development of a vaccine shown to protect macaque monkeys from the Ebola virus, but is unsure if it will be effective in humans..

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Doctors Without Borders Doctors Without Borders operates six Ebola case management centers with 600 isolated beds in West Africa. It currently employs 263 international and about 3,084 locally hired staff in this region. Since the beginning of the outbreak, DWB has sent more than 700 international staff to the region and admitted more than 5,200 patients, 3,200 of whom were confirmed as having Ebola. More than 1,200 of these patients have survived. DWB has shipped more than 1,019 tons of supplies to the affected countries since last March.
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University of Texas The first nasal spray Ebola vaccine found to offer long-term protection against this deadly virus is being developed by scientists at the University of Texas. This breathable vaccine has been shown to protect monkeys against this deadly disease. The next step is to test the vaccine on humans in phase one clinical trials. Researchers claim this respiratory vaccine could overcome logistical problems of storing, transporting, administering injectible vaccines.
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