Ebola migration ban best for nation, Peter Dutton says

THE Health Minister has rebuffed WHO concerns about Australia’s suspension of migration from Ebola-affected nations.

Tony Abbott

HEALTH Minister Peter Dutton has rebuffed World Health Organisation concerns about Australia’s suspension of migration from Ebola-affected nations, claiming West African language barriers and funeral rites make those travellers an unacceptable risk.

Isabelle Nuttall, director of WHO’s alert and response department, said the United Nations agency had asked both countries to justify the tough border measures, which she has described as “detrimental and ineffective”.

Australia on October 27 became the first Western nation to suspend migration from Ebola-hit west African nations, and Canada followed suit four days later.

The WHO’s criticism came as the Abbott government announced it would hire Canberra-based Aspen Medical to provide about 240 staff for a 100-bed medical facility being built by the British government in Sierra Leone.

Dr Nuttall said that blanket visa suspensions could give countries a “false sense of security”, warning it could even push “uncontrolled immigration” from the affected areas “which is much riskier”.

The policy also places additional pressure on the countries facing Ebola outbreaks, while complicating travel to and from the affected countries by aid workers.

“We have to make sure the three countries are conducting exit screening, and the rest of the world must remain vigilant so cases can be detected if they show up in other countries,” Dr Nuttall said.

Mr Dutton this morning insisted it was “in the best interests of our country” to suspend the immigration programs.

“We’ve taken a step believing it to be prudent that we’ll suspend some of those programs for the time being for people who are coming from those affected countries,” the Health Minister told ABC Radio.

“I think that’s sensible and I think particularly given language difficulties, particularly given funeral rituals and practices mean that people coming from West Africa in the three affected countries do pose a higher threat and a higher risk of contracting the disease and ultimately spreading it and I think we’re mitigating that risk in the steps that we’ve taken.”

Washington’s UN ambassador, Samantha Power, said burial practices had improved greatly in recent weeks.

“In Liberia, thanks to the presence of the CDC (US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) and the US military, we see the rate of safe burial, which is a key part of the solution here, skyrocketing to close to 90 per cent in the capital Monrovia,” she told CBS.

“In Sierra Leone, the rate of safe burial within 24 hours is close to 100 per cent,” she said, citing British aid.

Liberia and Sierra Leone are former colonies of the US and Britain respectively.

Aspen Medical managing director Glenn Keys, whose company will operate the $20m government-funded field hospital in Sierra Leone, said Australian volunteers would comprise between 10 and 20 per cent of the approximately 200 staff.

Almost 350 Australians have already volunteered to deploy to the 100-bed facility and the volunteers will work on rotation fulfilling clinical, logistical and environmental health roles.

“The exact number (who will be deployed) isn’t sure, but there will definitely be Australians in the group,” Dr Keys told ABC Radio.

“What we also want to do is develop both capacity and capability within northwest Africa to support not only this activity but also if there are any activities going forward.”

Additional reporting: AFP