THE federal opposition says Australia can’t afford to wait until Ebola reaches our region before playing a role in its containment.
AN Australian medical rapid response team has been put on notice to respond should any cases of Ebola be diagnosed in neighbouring countries, News Corp reports.
But Labor has renewed calls for Australia to step up its response to the outbreak in west Africa, saying the government should support volunteers who want to assist. Deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek says Australia must act before the virus hits Australia or neighbouring countries. “We can not afford to wait until Ebola reaches out to Australia before Australia becomes part of the global effort to control this virus,” she told reporters in Sydney. United States health experts estimate Ebola could infect 1.4 million people by next year if the virus is not controlled. About 4500 people have died from Ebola, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The Australian government has committed $18 million to help fight the west African outbreak but has been criticised for not doing enough. The US military is building up to a force of 3200 troops in Liberia and Senegal. About 20 to 30 Australian volunteers are in west Africa, working with non-government agencies. The Australian government says it won’t order defence personnel or health workers into the area until appropriate evacuation procedures are put in place. The 30-hour flight to Australia is long enough for someone with Ebola symptoms to die and so far the government hasn’t been able to secure extraction agreements with countries like the US.