Tell Congress to support the fight to stop Ebola

	Tell Congress to  Support the  Fight to stop Ebola
	Take Action Since the first cases of the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa were reported in March of this year, more than 4,500 people have died, with 13,700 cases of the disease being reported across the world. 3,700 children have been either orphaned or have lost at least one parent to the disease. The United States has been a critical actor in the struggle to contain the outbreak, which has already had a devastating impact on Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. However, much more needs to be done if the disease is to be effectively contained and the impacted communities are to rebuild their communities and their lives. Congress must work with the Obama administration to robustly fund the US response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Dear Tracy, In countries affected by the Ebola outbreak, survival is becoming a challenge even for those not carrying the disease. The streets of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are not crowded like they once were. Schools are closed, forcing children to stay inside every day. Food is difficult to obtain, with prices skyrocketing, shops closing, and aid not coming in from abroad. Flights have been canceled. The general feeling is one of fear. Tell Congress to fund President Obama's Ebola outbreak response plan. Since the first cases of the current outbreak were reported in March of this year, nearly every morning brings terrifying news updates of more deaths as a result of the virus. The World Health Organization most recently confirmed more than 4,500 deaths, with 13,700 cases of the disease reported across the world. 3,700 children have been either orphaned or have lost at least one parent to the disease. People are desperately trying, and in many cases failing, to get medical help that would make the difference between life and death. Doctors and nurses are at a breaking point, with their countries' already-weakened health systems collapsing under the weight of responding to the crisis. Entire communities are quarantined, lacking access to sufficient food and water, and even those who survive the disease are often stigmatized and shunned from their communities. Tell Congress to respond swiftly to this crisis. The United States has been at the forefront of efforts by the international community to fight the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. However, much more needs to be done. More medical supplies and equipment are needed; more medical professionals need to be deployed to the impacted countries, and more healthcare workers in those countries and in the region need to be trained. Humanitarian assistance needs to be delivered to ensure food for communities whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the crisis. And the health systems in West Africa must be rebuilt to prevent such crises in the future. We cannot allow the U.S. and the international community to falter in their response. This is a global crisis that demands a global response. There's no time to waste. In solidarity, Adotei Akwei Managing Director Amnesty International USA