HIGHLIGHTS
On February 11, U.S. President Barack Obama praised the USG and the humanitarian community on their EVD response activities in West Africa. He also lauded DoD’s contribution to the response and announced the withdrawal of the majority of DoD staff by the end of April.
The total number of deaths attributed to EVD in West Africa surpassed 9,000 in recent days, according to WHO.
Only three of Liberia’s counties have reported confirmed cases in the past 42 days—12 counties have completed two 21-day cycles of the EVD monitoring period.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
On February 11, President Obama lauded USG EVD response efforts in West Africa, which included the construction of 15 Ebola treatment units (ETUs), the training of more than 1,500 Liberian health care workers, the enhancement of laboratory testing capabilities in affected countries, and the establishment of core public health management of the epidemic. President Obama praised DoD staff’s contributions to the EVD response and noted the role of civilians in ongoing response activities in West Africa. He also announced the withdrawal of the majority of DoD staff. Of the nearly 3,000 DoD staff deployed to Liberia in September, approximately 100 will remain behind with the humanitarian community to support the USG’s continuing effort to reach zero cases.
On February 10, President of Guinea and Chairman of the Mano River Union (MRU) Alpha Condé visited Liberia and met with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The two heads of state announced a meeting of the MRU— an international association comprising Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone—planned for February 15 in the Guinean capital city of Conakry to continue presidential-level conversations on cross-border issues, according to the UN.
USG Response to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa Last Updated 02/11/15