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The private sector has responded to the government’s plea for assistance in the fight against the Ebola epidemic in Africa with R12m in cash and in kind contributions, it was announced at a meeting to support the Department of Health’s Ebola Response Fund on Friday.
However, the figure is still far off from the R250m called for last month by the department.The government has thus far contributed R32.5m to the cause.

The in kind contributions by companies included protective clothing, scooters, medicines and disinfectants. Four ambulances were donated by Netcare.

Standard Bank, Pfizer, Aspen, Discovery, Medscheme, Massmart, National Business Initiative and Impaza were some of the companies present at the meeting.

Principal adviser for health at Rio Tinto Dr Vusumuzi Nhlapho said the mining company has contributed about $200,000 to the World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as in kind contributions.

 “We do public awareness through the operation, and buying materials for health professionals in the area. The WHO uses the funds as they see fit,” he said.

According to WHO estimates, Ebola has killed over 3,800 people in western Africa, and earlier this week a Spanish nurse became the first known person outside Africa to have caught the virus.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that all 14 cases of testing for Ebola in South Africa were negative and that clinically a test for Ebola was not warranted.

Deployment of the South African National Defence Force would be considered if necessary but there had not been a request for such assistance as yet, he said.

Head of the Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases Prof Janusz T. Paweska said there was no need to worry that the disease would spread to SA through animals.

“The chances for a spill-over of Ebola in this part of the world is highly unlikely,” he said.

The professor said that animals that originally spread the disease and are considered game in other parts of Africa, such as bats, are not hunted or eaten in South Africa.

Adding his voice to the plea for assistance, Guinea’s ambassador to SA Mamadi Camara said that “what we need, because people are still dying in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, is massive and fast support from all over the world. “Every time we are not fast, people die,” said Mr Camara, adding that even though aid was trickling in slowly it was necessary and welcomed.

“The world must maintain its support as long as it is needed,” said Dr Motsoaledi. “Countries are trying their level best to help. “In New York … even countries like Namibia, for instance, the (Namibian) minister stood up and immediately announced one million dollars. That is high for a country of Nambia’s income.”

The US government has already dispatched 230 troops to the most heavily affected areas but up to 4,000 soldiers could be deployed.

The UK has announced plans to dispatch 750 military personnel and a medical ship to Sierra Leone.



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