Of the individual from where they are to a hospital ready and waiting for them. They were cared for safely in that system. Yesterday, we notified people that starting today, we will be doing that same kind of active monitoring for everyone who arrives in mali. Not because we believe there is widespread transmission but because there are so many contacts there and we are not yet confident that they are all being identified and monitored daily. If one comes here, we dont want to take the risk that they may become ill and the Health Care System would not be aware of it. We dont know that we have the perfect response but like everything in Public Health, everything for clinical medicine, everything in science, we use data to continuously improve practices. That is the approach we will take. We work with the Health Care System to strengthen control. They have visited three dozen hospitals all over the country and a dozen states to assess the ready. They provided the tests for ebola. Usually
Every one of those cases needs that kind of response that i described. Going to be incredibly difficult. A reminder that cases are still growing. Despite some progress, there was more cases in west africa in october than there were in september and though the numbers decreased in liberia, we believe, there are so many cases that we are not able to do the kind of outbreak control as needed and so many communities that have not yet had cases that need intensive control measures. In october, west africa had more all of the than in recorded ebola outbreaks over the last 40 years. We have a long way to go but we do have proof of principle and we do have tremendous commitment from societies. My team was describing how many communities themselves were taking action among they identified buildings or schools to isolate and care for people with ebola. They tracked the contacts so they would be rapidly isolated and would not further spread disease. This is outdated because it is from yesterday.
Campaign finance that took place at the Constitution Center. You can watch it tonight in its entirety at 8 00 eastern on our companion network, cspan. [inaudible conversations] and taking you live today to the Heritage Foundation for an update on the Global Response to ebola and the defense departments role in fighting the disease. This should be getting under way shortly. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] we ready . [background sounds] good afternoon welcome to the Heritage Foundation and our Louis Lehrman auditorium. We, of course welcome those who join us on our heritage. Org web site. Would ask everyone here in house if youll be so kind to make that last courtesy check that your cell phones have been turned off. Its always appreciated. We will, of course, post the program on the heritage home page following todays presentation for everyones future reference and our internet viewers are always welcome to send questions or comments, simply emailing speaker heritage.
Weve seen upon the outbreak, we seem use of chemical weapons and weve seen nuclear. We were able to predict any of those. For example, when it came about as good of an ebola, it couldve been something else. We have to be prepared for all of it. The challenges that my group faces is the when it comes to developing these countermeasures we do this in partnership with commercial companies. These are companies that are driven by return on investment. Fcat to make money. The Business Model that exists is tremendously challenging. We want you to work with us and make these countermeasures that you are probably not make any money doing it. Thats the reality of the business were in. Its extremist difficult and so when youre an outcry from the folks in west africa hey where with the drugs and vaccines . They shouldve been here. We agree with that. However, its incredibly challenging. And the fact is that over a number of years its the u. S. Government department of health and Human Services wit
The final death sentence for those groups in those areas. Those groups tend to overplay their hand. They have to be careful. They have to be very careful about how to act. I do not to mention the role of and reining in those groups, maybe not militarily but he still very influential. You dont want to cause trouble and you dont want to be direct enemy every day because in iraqi will come out on top. Its very difficult. And, finally, i dont think there will be a hezbollah anymore. Ive heard different metaphors about what will happen at right. Somebody told it would be like libya with different groups competing. I dont think it will be that. Theres a safe structure that those groups out to be part of protecting. It cannot be like hezbollah for simple reason, its different kind of threat and different groups. Hezbollah was only dominant group in lebanon during the lebanese civil war. In iraq of all of these groups. You have 150, eight of them are really big. We have to wonder which one wil