Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
If Ebola Spreads 'We Will Take Further Actions,' HHS Secretary Vows
The Associated Press: US Health Chief Pledges More Action If Ebola Spreads
President Donald Trump's top health official said Wednesday that the U.S. and global partners will "take the steps necessary" to try to contain a new Ebola outbreak, asserting that the fight against infectious diseases is one of the administration's top priorities for the World Health Organization, the U.N. agency taking the lead. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar stopped short of predicting whether the outbreak in Congo that's believed to have killed at least 27 people will be contained, but he praised WHO's early response and vowed: "If it spreads, we will take further actions." (5/23)
The Associated Press: Congo Says Ebola Cases Have Reached 30, Warns Against Rumors
Congo's Ministry of Health says the number of confirmed Ebola cases has reached 30, including 8 deaths in the 3 affected health zones in the country's Equateur province. The ministry on Thursday gave the toll after surveillance teams in the capital, Kinshasa, were deployed along the Congo River to monitor people coming in there. (Mwanamilongo, 5/24)
Reuters: Ebola Patients Slip Out Of Congo Hospital As Medics Try To Curb Outbreak
Three patients infected with the Ebola virus slipped out of an isolation ward at a hospital in Democratic Republic of Congo, health officials said, as medics raced to stop the deadly disease from spreading in the busy river port of Mbandaka. The cases represent a setback to costly efforts to contain the virus, including the use of an experimental vaccine, and show efforts to stem its spread can be hampered by age-old customs or scepticism about the threat it poses. (Ligodi, 5/23)
In related news —
CQ: Senate Panel Advances Health Emergency Preparedness Bill
A Senate committee on Wednesday approved a bill to reauthorize federal programs for health emergencies like large-scale disease outbreaks or major catastrophes. The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advanced the bill (S 2852) 22-1. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only dissenter. The House has yet to hold a hearing or markup on companion legislation, but the Energy and Commerce Committee may have time to address the issue in June now that it has advanced dozens of bills to address opioid abuse. (Siddons, 5/23)
