Australia bows to pressure to step up Ebola fight in Africa
7 Nov 2014 5:09 AM IST
Australia will fund an Ebola treatment clinic in Sierra Leone, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Wednesday, responding to pressure from the United States and others to do more to tackle the deadly outbreak at its West African source.Australia last week became the first developed nation to issue a blanket ban on visas from the three most Ebola-affected countries - sparking widespread criticism.
Australia will provide A$20 million ($17.5 million) to staff a 100-bed treatment centre that will be built by Britain and run by Aspen Medical, a private Australian company.‘We anticipate about 240 staff required to do the job,’ Abbott told reporters in Sydney. ‘Most of them will be locally engaged. Some will be international and it’s quite possible, even likely, that some will be Australian.’ Australia had already committed around A$18 million to fight the outbreak of the virus, but had been called on by Obama, opposition lawmakers and medical bodies such as Doctors Without Borders to do more.
Australia will provide A$20 million ($17.5 million) to staff a 100-bed treatment centre that will be built by Britain and run by Aspen Medical, a private Australian company.‘We anticipate about 240 staff required to do the job,’ Abbott told reporters in Sydney. ‘Most of them will be locally engaged. Some will be international and it’s quite possible, even likely, that some will be Australian.’ Australia had already committed around A$18 million to fight the outbreak of the virus, but had been called on by Obama, opposition lawmakers and medical bodies such as Doctors Without Borders to do more.
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