African Leaders To Be Screened For Ebola At US-Africa Summit In Washington

President Barack Obama said some participants at the US-Africa summit taking place in Washington between Monday and Wednesday next week would be screened for exposure to the deadly Ebola virus.

“We are taking the appropriate precautions,” Obama said.

“Folks who are from these countries that have even a marginal risk, or an infinitesimal risk of having been exposed in some fashion, we’re making sure we’re doing screening.”

The president also said the American Federal Centers for Disease Control are working with international health organizations to provide assistance to the affected countries.

Two of the 45 African leaders expected to attend the US-Africa Leaders summit, President of Liberia, Mrs Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her Sierra Leonean counterpart, Mr Ernest Bai Koroma, whose countries are hit by the deadly virus have cancelled their trip to the US.

Four leaders including Robert Mugabe and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir were however not invited, because of US sanctions on them. Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki and the Central African Republic’s President Catherine Samba-Panza were left out because of African Union (AU) concerns.