AUSTRALIA is spending $500 million fighting terrorists but just $18 million on a potential global Ebola crisis, the body representing Australia’s doctors says.
AUSTRALIAN Medical Association president Associate Professor Brian Owler says if Ebola is not contained it could spread to the rest of Africa, Europe and the world.
Australia has committed $18 million to fund the Ebola fight, but Prime Minister Tony Abbott has ruled out sending Australian health workers to fight it on the ground. “Eighteen million dollars, I accept that it’s a significant amount of money, but in terms of the proportional response that we’re seeing I think it’s inadequate,” Prof Owler told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday. “I don’t want to downplay the issues associated with Iraq and Syria. They are very significant issues with ISIS. “But we are seeing at least half a billion dollars – in terms of our military effort per year – going into treating that on a humanitarian and security basis. “I think we need to be thinking about this type of problem, not just (as) a local health problem of west Africa, but an international global emergency.” Mr Abbott said he did not want to order Australians into a dangerous situation without a plan to get them out safely. But Prof Owler said he had spoken to Australian experts who were trained for this type of work and were keen to go. “I’m not suggesting that anyone who doesn’t want to go and do this work be sent,” he said. Prof Owler said Australians needed to recognise there was a complete breakdown of society in west Africa. “There are literally, without exaggeration at all, people dying in the streets,” he said.