Ebola: an open letter to European governments

Lancet, the British Medical publication,  has published an open letter to European governments charging that after months of inaction and neglect from the international community, the Ebola epidemic in west Africa has now spiralled utterly out of control.
 
The letter by a group of health professionals urged European  governments to "mobilise all possible resources to assist west Africa in controlling this horrific epidemic."

They recommended that given the huge need for trained health-care professionals in west Africa, European governments should  create mechanisms that allow professionals working in public health-care systems to volunteer for temporary leave (with hazard pay) to contribute to the epidemic control efforts in the region.

 

Second, the letter said,, there is a huge need for field laboratories, epidemiological and microbiological surveillance resources, diagnostic equipment, and mobile communications software and technology. These needs go hand in hand with basic infrastructure requirements such as electric generators, clean water, and fuel. European countries have the resources and the knowledge to deploy them.

 

The letter added that  health-care professionals and communities are in desperate need of personal protective equipment as well as disinfectants, such as soap and chlorine.... European countries should actively seek to procure and distribute protective clothing to all health-care professionals on the ground as well as to communities in need.

 

Regarding transportation. the letter said  governments should go beyond requesting private companies to resume travel to the affected regions...  and create strong incentives for them to do so, while also mobilising military and civil transport by air, sea, and land to ship food, supplies, and personnel to the affected regions.

 

Link to full text of the lengthy letter

 http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2961611-1/fulltext