新聞背景:
致命的埃博拉病毒持續發威,全球公共衛生拉警報,英國法爾茅斯,裝備有全套醫院設備的醫療船百眼巨人號(RFA Argus)及750名軍事人員,啟程駛往非洲塞拉利昂,幫助當地抗擊嚴重的埃博拉疫情。
10月15日,世界衛生組織稱,死于埃博拉爆發的人數估計已上升到4447人,絕大多數是在西非,而塞拉利昂是疫情最為嚴重的國家之一,如果不加強全球抗擊埃博拉的努力,兩個月內就會看到每周出現一萬個新病例的情況。目前,共有8914例埃博拉病例,包括死亡病例。
曾在非洲參與打擊伊毒工作的英國專家指出,除非研發有效疫苗對抗,否則不僅西非3國淪陷,還將威脅其它15個非洲國家。
目前在英國、美國及在沒有傳出埃博拉病毒病例的馬利進行3種不同疫苗的測試,結果要到11月底或12月初才會揭曉,如果測試結果良好,將在圣誕節前提供給感染風險高的醫護人員。
Well this is flyco which stands for flight control and this very small crammed room that overlook the main flight deck will be without doubt the busiest part of the ship when operations are in full swing, because from here the flights of the Merlin helicopters will be coordinated and controlled.
Below deck there are four giant hangers, this is just half of one and this is where the supplies and the three Merlin helicopters will be out or looked after by hundreds of ground crew and royal naval personnel.
As well as the helicopters on board, these royal marine launches will ferry people very quickly on and off shore, they are effectively speed boats, initially this deployment has been penciled and to last six months, but privately there is an acknowledgement that the British military contribution to defeat the spread of the Ebola virus will last as long as it needs to.