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| Obama Urges Global Effort to Help Prevent Epidemics | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WASHINGTON — President Obama on Friday called on nations around the world to develop more effective health care systems to prevent deadly outbreaks like the Ebola virus that is rapidly spreading across West Africa. | WASHINGTON — President Obama on Friday called on nations around the world to develop more effective health care systems to prevent deadly outbreaks like the Ebola virus that is rapidly spreading across West Africa. |
| “Each time the world scrambles to coordinate a response, each time it’s been harder than it should be to share information and contain the outbreak,” Mr. Obama told health ministers from more than 40 nations who had gathered at the White House for a global health security summit meeting. “It is unacceptable if, because of lack of preparedness and planning and global preparation, people are dying.” | “Each time the world scrambles to coordinate a response, each time it’s been harder than it should be to share information and contain the outbreak,” Mr. Obama told health ministers from more than 40 nations who had gathered at the White House for a global health security summit meeting. “It is unacceptable if, because of lack of preparedness and planning and global preparation, people are dying.” |
| Mr. Obama’s remarks were the centerpiece of a daylong meeting the White House organized in February, before the current Ebola outbreak. Mr. Obama’s aides said the goal was to persuade other countries to treat biological threats — whether manufactured or natural — as national security issues that need to be prevented or contained. | Mr. Obama’s remarks were the centerpiece of a daylong meeting the White House organized in February, before the current Ebola outbreak. Mr. Obama’s aides said the goal was to persuade other countries to treat biological threats — whether manufactured or natural — as national security issues that need to be prevented or contained. |
| American officials announced that participants in the summit meeting had agreed to work collaboratively during the next five years to improve the capacity to detect diseases early, diagnose them quickly and respond to their spread. Countries that have more advanced health systems will work with countries that need assistance in building up more capacity, Mr. Obama said. | American officials announced that participants in the summit meeting had agreed to work collaboratively during the next five years to improve the capacity to detect diseases early, diagnose them quickly and respond to their spread. Countries that have more advanced health systems will work with countries that need assistance in building up more capacity, Mr. Obama said. |
| “No nation can meet these challenges on its own,” Mr. Obama said. “Nobody is that isolated anymore. Oceans don’t protect you. Walls don’t protect you.” | “No nation can meet these challenges on its own,” Mr. Obama said. “Nobody is that isolated anymore. Oceans don’t protect you. Walls don’t protect you.” |
| Mr. Obama used the opportunity of the health summit meeting to renew his call for a global response to the Ebola crisis in Africa. He said that experts predicted that hundreds of thousands of people could die from the disease within months if more was not done. | Mr. Obama used the opportunity of the health summit meeting to renew his call for a global response to the Ebola crisis in Africa. He said that experts predicted that hundreds of thousands of people could die from the disease within months if more was not done. |
| He said the United States had increased aid to the region, and he thanked the Japanese government for the purchase of 500,000 pieces of suits for workers to use as they treating people with Ebola. | He said the United States had increased aid to the region, and he thanked the Japanese government for the purchase of 500,000 pieces of suits for workers to use as they treating people with Ebola. |
| But he implored countries to do more and said that because of the virus, health systems were overwhelmed, “leaving people dying on the streets." Public health systems, he said, are near collapse. | But he implored countries to do more and said that because of the virus, health systems were overwhelmed, “leaving people dying on the streets." Public health systems, he said, are near collapse. |
| American officials at the health summit meeting said the Ebola outbreak was a warning sign for the world about how fragile many health systems were. Lisa Monaco, the president’s chief counterterrorism and homeland security adviser, said Friday that the government must protect Americans from deadly pathogens just as they seek to protect against terrorists and other threats. | American officials at the health summit meeting said the Ebola outbreak was a warning sign for the world about how fragile many health systems were. Lisa Monaco, the president’s chief counterterrorism and homeland security adviser, said Friday that the government must protect Americans from deadly pathogens just as they seek to protect against terrorists and other threats. |
| “What they all have in common is they all require a unified approach and a unified response,” Ms. Monaco said. “To meet these threats, every part of our government must work together.” | “What they all have in common is they all require a unified approach and a unified response,” Ms. Monaco said. “To meet these threats, every part of our government must work together.” |
| The administration’s top national security officials attended the summit meeting, including Secretary of State John Kerry and the secretary of health and human services, Sylvia Mathews Burwell. | The administration’s top national security officials attended the summit meeting, including Secretary of State John Kerry and the secretary of health and human services, Sylvia Mathews Burwell. |