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We have consistently said that Ebola is an urgent global challenge requiring an urgent and commensurate global response. Earlier today, Leaders of the G20—a collection of the world’s largest economies—answered that call from their ongoing summit in Brisbane, Australia. They committed to continued and intensified action to end the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and pledged to assist others to achieve needed health security capacity to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to future outbreaks before they become epidemics.
The communique commends the extraordinary international commitments and cooperation toward the Ebola response to-date, while urging countries around the globe—as well as international organizations and the private sector—to do their part. The statement also goes one step farther to achieve global implementation of the World Health Organization International Health Regulations, which over 40 countries and 17 G-20 members have now pledged to accelerate through the Global Health Security Agenda.
Specifically, among other steps, G20 Leaders pledged to:
All told, the international community has already committed more than $1.5 billion to fight the epidemic, while officials from countries large and small have worked on the ground hand-in-hand, together with authorities from the affected countries and humanitarian responders, to beat back this disease. But, today’s communique signals a commitment on the part of the world’s largest and most powerful countries to see this challenge through and to recognize infectious outbreaks for what they are: global threats. The United States will be there until the Ebola epidemic is contained and the affected countries are back on their feet. And today, many of our closest allies and partners pledged to be right there with us.