The funding will also be used for Ebola response in the U.S., including expanding on the current system in place that screens travelers entering the U.S. from Ebola-hit nations and identification of outbreaks as they occur.
The U.S. had already pledged $400 million to fight Ebola as of October 24, according to the budget office. Wednesday’s request is the first made by Obama in the wake of the midterm elections that saw Republicans gain a majority in the Senate.
Obama has previously called on other countries to devote more resources to battling the outbreak. This week, World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim said countries in Asia that could help were not contributing enough and called on the region to send trained health professional teams to West Africa, Reuters reports.
On Thursday, philanthropist Paul Allen launched a new series of grants as part of his $100 million pledge to address the disease. The grants will provide millions more in funding for Ebola care and treatment, as well as the burgeoning humanitarian crisis that has resulted from the epidemic. The new sums include $1.9 million for Action Against Hunger to provide food to isolated patients, $1.35 million to AmeriCares for additional medical supplies and $1 million to Direct Relief to help continue delivering supplies.
Article Appeared @http://www.newsweek.com/un-us-ask-more-resources-fight-ebola-282805