Taiwan sending health workers to Ebola-affected countries

MANILA, Philippines - Taiwan has pledged to dispatch a team of medical experts to Ebola-affected areas in West Africa, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines said yesterday.

Steve H.S. Kuo, director-general of the Centers for Disease Control of Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare, said in a statement that President Ma Ying-jeou also pledged to provide 100,000 sets of protective clothing and donate $1 million to affected areas in West Africa.

Last week, the United Nations said that over the coming months, 5,000 international medical, training and support personnel are needed in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the West African nations most affected by the Ebola outbreak.

To date, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global total of 13,703 confirmed, probable and suspected cases of Ebola in six affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Spain and the United States) and two previously affected countries (Nigeria and Senegal). There have been 4,922 deaths.

“As a responsible global citizen, Taiwan is ready and willing to participate in international and humanitarian aid efforts for affected countries,” Kuo said.

Taiwan is also stepping up preparatory measures to protect its citizens while partnering with the international community to mount an effective response against the deadly Ebola virus.