In response to the West African Ebola epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that, in order to ensure the health and safety of the more than 80 Taiwanese businessmen and dependents residing in Nigeria, the CDC will dispatch Dr. Lo Yi-chun, the Chief medical officer, and Dr. Tsai Huai-te to the country. Drs. Lo and Tsai will arrive in Nigeria to provide guidance, assistance, and supplies to Taiwanese living there to help them deal with the threat of Ebola.
With the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Drs. Lo and Tsai will travel to Abuja and Lagos and provide their fellow countrymen with information aimed at preventing infection with the Ebola virus, including instructions about wearing protective clothing and disinfecting their working and living environments. In addition to providing disease prevention instructions and educational materials, the doctors will also supply 200 sets of full-body protective clothing, 100 sets of quarantine clothing, 200 surgical masks, and 100 N95 respirators. While in Nigeria, Drs. Lo and Tsai will also meet with the members of “WHO/CDC/NFELTP rapid response team” composed of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), US and Nigerian to gain a better understanding of conditions on the ground and response measures aimed at controlling the epidemic.
On August 08, the WHO declared the West African Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and said a coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of Ebola. The WHO also called on other countries to dispatch experts to the four affected West African countries to support US and UK experts already on the ground. The CDC’s decision to send its own experts to the region is in response to the WHO’s call for a global effort to control the outbreak.
On August 20, the WHO announced that, as of August 18, there were 15 cases of Ebola in Nigeria, including four fatal cases, while the total number of Ebola infections in the four affected West African countries (Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone) stood at 2,473, of which 1,350 were fatal. Taiwan CDC calls on people returning from affect areas to monitor themselves for symptoms, including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rash and to call the toll-free hotline 1922 (or 0800-001922) if symptoms are detected. Returning travelers should also inform physicians about their travel history and contact history when seeking medical treatment.