Obama Urges West Africans Not to Touch Bodies of Ebola Victims in Video - East Idaho News
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Obama Urges West Africans Not to Touch Bodies of Ebola Victims in Video

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111512 PresidentObamaStormDamage?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1409673741143Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) — In a video released by the U.S. State Department and posted to YouTube, President Obama urged West Africans not to touch the bodies of family members who have died from Ebola.

“When burying someone who has died from this terrible disease,” Obama said, “it’s important to not directly touch their body. You can respect your traditions and honor your loved ones without risking the lives of the living.”

The World Health Organization has noted that burial practices involving physical contact with corpses may play a role in the transmission of Ebola. The disease has spread to at least four countries in West Africa and threatens to infect even more people if action isn’t taken to halt it.

Obama addressed the video to “you, the people of West Africa,” and reassured West Africans that the U.S. and other nations will continue to work with the West African governments to fight the Ebola outbreak.


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