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Ambassador Hooks and WHO Representative (Photo: Teko Folli/US Embassy)

American Aid & Experts to Assist Those Affected by Toxic Waste

To help those suffering from the effects of toxic waste dumped around Abidjan, the American Embassy announced this morning that the United States Government has dispatched three public health experts to Cote d’Ivoire and is committing $50,000 to help care for those who have been exposed to the toxic substances at Ministry of Health clinics.  Experts from the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) arrived in Abidjan on Tuesday to work with officials from the Ivoirian Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene and the World Health Organization (WHO).  The funds allocated by the United States will be used to purchase medical supplies and to employ other measures to mitigate the public health effects of the toxic waste crisis.

“The United States has gained substantial experience in recent years in dealing with crises,” said the American Embassy’s Disaster Relief Officer Nicholas Hilgert.  “We hope that we can apply the lessons learned from that experience to bring needed assistance and comfort to those who have been suffering recently here in Cote d’Ivoire.” 

The funding for these efforts has been provided by the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and the CDC.  OFDA has given over a million dollars this year to assist with other humanitarian needs in Cote d’Ivoire.  As part of an interagency response, CDC contributes to the United States’ $170 million campaign to fight HIV/AIDS through their Cote d’Ivoire country office.