Obama Finally Says Ebola a 'Growing Threat'

Five months after the outbreak began killing hundreds of Africans, President Obama is now saying that the Ebola virus poses a “growing threat to regional and global security.”

Appearing before African leaders at the United Nations in New York on Thursday, the president said, “There’s still a significant gap between where we are and where we need to be.”

“Stopping Ebola is a priority for the United States,” Obama continued. “We will continue to lead and do our part. But this must also be a priority for the world.”

Last week Obama ordered 3,000 troops to Africa to help fight Ebola as experts began warning that up to five million Africans could die from the virus.

Also, on September 16, the administration released a plan to “contain and combat” the threat.

But despite the rhetoric, aide workers in Africa warn that little action has been seen in affected areas and as the death toll exceeds 2,200 victims, some are worried that the fight against Ebola is already lost. 

“Pledges of aid and unprecedented U.N. resolutions are very welcome. But they will mean little, unless they are translated into immediate action,” Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders said in a statement. “Fear and panic have set in, as infection rates double every three weeks. Mounting numbers are dying of other diseases, like malaria, because health systems have collapsed… Today, Ebola is winning.”

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.