Britain To Dispatch Force To Battle Ebola Outbreak in Sierra Leone

UK government has announced plans to dispatch military and humanitarian experts to Sierra Leone to set up medical treatment centers in areas affected by the Ebola outbreak. A 62-bed facility will be built and operated by military engineers and medical staff, said an official British government press release on Monday, adding that the medical center will become operational within eight weeks. The health facility is in addition to the UK’s 25-million-pound package of support to contain and control the disease, which includes multilateral support as well as direct funding to aid agencies operating on the ground, the press release further noted.

According to the official document, British military personnel will begin to survey and assess the site later this week. Based near the capital Freetown, the facility will treat victims of the disease, including local and international health workers and medical volunteers. According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) data, the total number of deaths from Ebola in the worst-hit areas including Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone has topped 2,100. Meanwhile, the WHO believes it will take six to nine months to contain the spread of Ebola.

The United Nations has stated that it will cost the region $600 million to try and contain the epidemic. The European Union pledged $180 million to the region on Friday. "The situation is going from bad to worse," said Kristalina Georgieva, the EU commissioner responsible for humanitarian aid. "We are helping make a difference on the ground but the needs are outpacing the international community's capacity to react."