Chinese People's Liberation Army on Action of Fighting against Ebola in Africa: Implications and Challenges

Correspondence To the Editor: The Ebola epidemic has taken almost 7000 lives thus far in Western Africa. China's contribution to the control of Ebola has shown China's, increasing engagement in global health. After deploying over 260 medical personnel from China Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and hospitals, China decided to send its elite People's Liberation Army (PLA) medical team of 163 military medical staffers on November 14, 2014 to Liberia, which is a very significant milestone in China's modern engagement in global health because it is the first time for China to send an elite PLA medical team to Africa and to run hospitals on their own. The military medical staffers were primarily from the Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, with a few dozen from other military hospitals in Shenyang. Over two‑third of the staffers have experience with the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in a military‑led infectious disease hospital established in 2003. Before they were deployed, the staffers received 6 weeks of extensive training on disease diagnosis and treatment, as well as prevention and surveillance. The training program included measures of self‑protection as the medical teams sought " zero infections " of their own staff. The staffers also received English language training and were provided with information on local geographical conditions. The PLA medical team set up a 100‑bed Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU), treated 110 patients, and trained local health workers and 1500 local people about the basics of fighting the Ebola virus during 2 months. What uniqueness did the Chinese military medical staffers bring to this campaign? First, their rich experience in fighting against SARS is valuable and useful. Within a short period of time, the military established a special hospital in suburban Beijing to treat most SARS patients diagnosed in the Beijing area. Second, based on what we understand, the medical team will also use Traditional Chinese Medicine, together with Western Medicine, to treat the patients. Third, this medical team used the latest equipment for mobile biological safety protection third‑level laboratory, for testing the Ebola virus and for personal bio‑protection, researched and produced by China's Academy of Military Medical Sciences. Fourth, the Chinese military medical services have emphasized prevention over treatment for infectious disease control over the past few decades. Finally, the PLA medical team is the only group that is constructed, staffed, and operated by a foreign country in the Ebola‑stricken countries. During …