The U.N. Ebola chief says U.S. troops being withdrawn from Liberia have done their job of building desperately needed treatment centres but that more than 10,000 civilians working in West Africa and supported by the United States are still essential to combating the deadly disease.
Dr. David Nabarro warned in an interview on Wednesday with The Associated Press that the battle against Ebola is far from over, pointing to a disappointing rise in new cases last week in hardest-hit Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
He said civilians from the U.S., Britain, France and elsewhere are still needed to help with tracing Ebola victims’ contacts, re-establishing health services and changing behaviour in communities.
The United States announced that only 100 U.S. troops will remain in Liberia after April 30, down from the 2,800 initially deployed.
