Why do people always look to white countries for help? White people are always meant to solve the problems of the world. This writer states that the USA is sending 3000 persons to help, and also states that China is helping. However the writer fails to state the number of persons China is sending. When questioned closely on this mater a UN spokesman had to admit that China was sending just 59 lab personal, yes 59 from a nation of over 1 billion. And how many are India, sending? what about other Asian tigers?

If Australia were to send the same number per capita, I think we would be sending probably one person.

So where is the outcry about the effort of China and India?

On the title question "President Obama got it right about Ebola. Will Australia?"

No. This issue is a genuine humanitarian - not a War issue. Ebola fails because:

- their is little opportunity for Actional Man politicians to make tough speeches

- no uniforms necessary

- no weapons necessary

- our money is invested in the Iraq War - roll on Syria.

Hence no interest from an Australian Government that disbanded AUSAID and removed most of its Aussie aid to Africa in the last 12 months.

Maybe they should send an army to shoot the actual germs.

It is relatively so much cheaper and easier to stop ebola while it is still in Africa.

PERHAPS it is possible to stop it in developed countries, but even if so, it would not be easy. Sufficient quantities of medication are not yet in sight and the resulting efforts, cost, restrictions and casualties would be equivalent to having a world-war.

I just wish people would stop rooting, kids, kids, more kids, when will the people of this world realise that this is the big problem, disease, poor sanitation, starving, living with goats in the house, no contraception, wars, no education, no money, no medical facilities, especially in poor countries like Africa.
Perhaps there should be a much more even distribution of wealth from rich countries in this world, then perhaps the people of poorer nations may have some hope to survive but stop having kids, forget about the teachings of certain religions regarding contraception, the head man is not going to help you out with his created bull just by waving his arms about and telling you all about his particular God or Witchcraft for goodness sake they are only men & women just like you, but they do not have to put up with the effects of Ebola in their cocooned wealthy countries.

Just too many people.
The root cause of ALL our problems.

I'm astonished at the callousness of some comments.
Also - surprised that some commenters see the military in such a narrow role.

Even if we wonderful whites didn't give a fig about the well-being of black Africans (and anyway, I think that we do care) - but even then, in the global village now, everyone's security is threatened if one nation is wrecked by a horrible epidemic.

As for sending troops - the military should not be seen in a narrow focus. Historically, the army has been called out to help in national disasters. Where else can you get a disciplined force of people available to be sent quickly to cope with practical and security problems in a national emergency?

What hasn't been trialed is chilled down hyberbaric oxygen compression treatment.
Most viruses die in an atmosphere rich in O2!
Nor do they handle chilled conditions.
Hyberbaric chambers, can be nearly as small as coffins; and easily transported in normal ambulances!
And effectively isolate the infected patient from the get go.
We chlorinate our water supplies to kill many troublesome pathogens, other nations still use oxygen, repeat OXYGEN, because it is MORE EFFECTIVE!
One can build transparent pressure chambers to resemble humidicribs, and use plastic piping to introduce liquid food and water/carry away urine and excrement!
Which can have liquid nitrogen bubble through it, to kill any remaining virus, before it is safely disposed of.
Comparatively poor nations can afford to build the fractional distillation plants needed to isolate/supply just a couple of gases!
And plastic pipes can pump up and release pressure, in air mattress, to ensure there are no pressure sores.
Anything the patient needs, (temperature/blood pressure/O2 level checks/normal nursing) can be arranged via the gloves/part of the isolation chambers design and inboard equipment.
This isolation, would enable families to stay in touch with and observe their family members!
Steam and bleach purging for a required minimum time, twice as long as really necessary, would enable these units to be used and reused as often as needed, to kill off any pathogen.
Most viruses live for just seconds, when deprived of a warm blooded host!
If we just "cured" half of the patients, using this very basic commonsense approach, we could conceivably cure many more, by giving infected patients, a blood transfusion with recovered compatible patients blood as well!
We could inoculate, but how do we isolate infected patients at a very local level, and in pristine sterile conditions.
When enough people have visibly recovered, using this simple but effective remedy, many villages will accept it and the underlying science.
Even health workers, could receive an occasional time out, in a sterile compression chamber; and have their own systems purged with compressed oxygen therapy!
Rhrosty.

ateday

Too much of everyone else, just enough of you I suppose?

Today another team of healthcare workers in West Africa were brutally murdered. Not exactly encouraging for other potential healthcare workers thinking about helping out.

Yes apparently that's the Africans' way of dealing with the Ebola problem: cut up health workers with a machete and dump them in a septic tank.