Now beyond control: The world is not doing enough to stop the Ebola outbreak that is destroying West Africa

The current Ebola outbreak that is ravaging much of western Africa is worse than official figures show and is "spiraling out of control," a leading U.S. official reported.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Dr. Tom Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, made this shocking announcement on September 2 on CNN, a day after the president of Liberia, Ellen Sirleaf voiced dissatisfaction with the world's response so far.

Please send out thoughts and prayers to the people who are suffering from this horrible disease.

At least 1,552 people have died from this current Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported, and more than 3,000 people have been infected in the nations of Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

Frieden said that countries are turning their backs on those coming from the countries where the outbreak is the strongest, including flight restrictions and border crossing restriction.

"This is making it really hard to get help in and to respond effectively to the outbreak," he said. "What we're seeing is a ... hugely fast increase in cases that's harder and harder to manage. The more we can get in there and tamp that down, the fewer cases we'll have in the weeks and months to come."

The president of the Doctors Without Borders sharply criticized what she called the "global coalition of inaction," for focusing on insulating their nations instead of helping those in Africa who need it the most.

Dr. Joanne Liu said that centers run by the group have been forced to turn away the sick because they are too full, as an ever-growing number of people begin to develop symptoms of Ebola.

"States with the required capacity have a political and humanitarian responsibility to come forward and offer a desperately needed, concrete response to the disaster unfolding in front of the world's eyes ... rather than limit their response to the potential arrival of an infected patient in their countries," Liu said.

President Sirleaf of Liberia appealed for other nations to "please work as partners with us" by offering monetary, health care, logistical and other assistance including moral support.

"Give us hope by joining us in this fight," Sirleaf said. "Don't instill fear. We need that hope, we need that assistance, we need for Liberians to know that this war can be won."

Sirleaf said that "the great progress" of the economy of Liberia, at least, is now "under question because of the Ebola crisis."
That said, she stressed that there's only one path forward-to defeat the disease and return to some semblance of normal.

"I'm very hopeful that we will beat this," she said. "We have to. We have no option but to succeed in this."

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