GOP chairman rips ‘deadly incompetence’ of UN Ebola response

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING: House Foreign Committee Chairman blasts WHO, while AID urges funding to address Ebola hotspots.
(Two stories, scroll down)

THE HILL                                                                                                                           Nov. 13, 2014

A top Republican is calling for a new strategy to fight Ebola overseas — one that does not rely on the embattled World Health Organization (WHO).

Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, slammed the organization for what he called “deadly incompetence” in the battle against the disease.

“Unfortunately, we are paying the price for early failures,” Royce said at a hearing, arguing that the WHO “repeatedly downplayed the crisis.”

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said he has “no confidence” in the WHO.
“WHO contributed to the spread of this virus and to a high mortality rate, frankly, because of its cronyism and its incompetence,” Connolly said.The

Royce also renewed his call for temporarily suspending all visas for non-U.S. nationals in West African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak. The measure has broad GOP support though it has been repeatedly dismissed by Obama administration officials, who argue that travel bans would make it harder to treat the outbreak in Africa.
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http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/224014-top-republican-who-botched-ebola-response
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USAID Urges Emergency Funds for Ebola Hot Spots

ASSOCIATED PRESS                                                                                                        Nov. 13, 2014

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer
This is a fast-moving and adaptable viral epidemic. We need to be fast-moving and adaptable," Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee Thursday.

Shah spoke as Congress considers the Obama administration's request for $6.2 billion in emergency aid to fight Ebola in West Africa and shore up U.S. preparedness.

"We really do require these resources to be successful. Frankly, we will not succeed without them," said Shah, whose agency is leading the U.S. response in West Africa.

Without more funding, Shah said, his own agency would have to shift money that fights famine in other countries toward fighting Ebola.

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http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/clinical-trials-tap-ebola-vaccine-26879486