The Trump administration is constructing a quarantine facility in Kenya to treat Americans exposed to Ebola, marking a sharp reversal from decades of policy that brought infected U.S. citizens home for care, according to an administration official who disclosed the plan Wednesday.
The shift has drawn sharp criticism from public health experts who argue it could endanger American lives. Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, called the decision "unprecedented" and warned that Kenya lacks the medical infrastructure to handle severe cases.
"It is likely to cost American lives," Gostin said in a statement. "We have an ethical duty to protect U.S. citizens, especially brave health and humanitarian workers who have cared for Ebola patients. It is impossible to give high quality care to Ebola patients in Kenya, compared with our state-of-the-art facilities in the U.S."
The facility is designed to speed treatment and eliminate lengthy medical evacuation flights, which can stretch beyond 12 hours. Administration officials argue the setup will provide faster access to lifesaving care for Americans in the region who contract the virus.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the initiative as a protective measure during a White House Cabinet meeting Wednesday. "We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States," Rubio said, calling it the administration's top priority.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has accelerated sharply, with confirmed cases now exceeding 1,000 and deaths topping 200, according to the World Health Organization. The strain driving the outbreak, called Bundibugyo, carries a mortality rate between 25% and 40%, with no approved vaccines or treatments currently available.
The U.S. government has already begun moving Americans out of the region. Earlier this month, Dr. Peter Stafford, an American physician who contracted Ebola in Congo, was transported to Germany for treatment. His family and another American doctor, Patrick LaRochelle, were also evacuated to Europe for monitoring. Stafford, who experienced severe symptoms including chills and high fever, remains optimistic about recovery according to a statement from Serge, the Christian missionary organization employing him.
The Kenya facility was developed through coordination among the State Department, Defense Department, and Health and Human Services. Officials say it will be equipped to handle the full spectrum of Ebola care, including intensive and critical treatment, though patients requiring more advanced intervention could be transferred elsewhere on a case-by-case basis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also tightened entry restrictions, blocking non-U.S. citizens who visited Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past 21 days. American citizens are exempt from the ban but face mandatory rerouting to specific airports for enhanced health screening.
Key details remain unclear. The administration has not disclosed where in Kenya the facility will be located or whether Kenya's government has formally approved the plan. Spokespeople for the involved agencies declined to comment on additional questions.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Keeping Americans safe matters, but building a quarantine center abroad instead of using proven U.S. medical facilities sends a troubling message about how much we trust our own health system to handle the threat."
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