New York — The Trump administration plans to send Americans who are susceptible to Ebola to a new facility in Kenya instead of being flown to the United States, an administration official said Wednesday.
The quarantine and treatment center established by the Departments of Defense, State and Health and Human Services will be designed for Ebola patients who need to exit the DRC and receive care quickly, said the official, who requested anonymity to share the administration’s plans. The plan will help patients avoid an hours-long medical evacuation to the United States, the person said
It was not immediately clear where in Kenya the new facility would be built or whether the Kenyan government had signed on to the plan.
The facility will be able to provide full care for Ebola, a rare but serious and often fatal disease in humans, the official said. But they said people may be transferred elsewhere for more advanced care as appropriate.
Health authorities in Congo are struggling to contain the outbreak, which the World Health Organization said is overwhelming them after the emergence of the rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola was confirmed weeks late, with tests being conducted for a more common type.
The number of suspected Ebola cases in eastern Congo is approaching 1,000, with at least 220 suspected deaths. Congo’s health ministry said on Tuesday that 101 cases had been confirmed and it was looking into more than 3,000 potential contacts.
Challenges include the threat of armed groups in eastern Congo, a large number of displaced people, and weak infrastructure.