By Judith Ugwumadu | 24 September 2014
UK aid workers and military personnel yesterday arrived in Sierra Leone to spearhead a £100m mission to help contain and control the Ebola outbreak, the Department for International Development announced.
Over 40 humanitarian and military workers arrived in the Sierra Leone capital Freetown to oversee the construction of a medical facility and assist with the UK’s response.
In addition, the UK has published an action plan setting out how it will work alongside the United Nations and Sierra Leone authorities to mobilise international medical teams and support further treatment.
Speaking from New York at the United Nations summit, International Development Secretary Justine Greening called on world leaders to back international efforts to respond to the worsening crisis in Africa.
She said: ‘The outbreak in West Africa is extremely serious and worsening every day. Sierra Leone requires an urgent and dramatic increase in public health teams and specialist treatment centres to halt the spread of disease.
‘Britain’s plan will triple bed provision in the country but we cannot do this alone. Sierra Leone needs urgent offers of support from foreign medical teams and international donors.’
The UK’s plan follows its commitment to support 700 Ebola treatment beds across Sierra Leone. DFID said this would increase the number of beds available to more than 1,000 over the coming months. The UK has committed £100m to deliver this plan.
