National Security Minister, Peter Bunting, today urged a high level meeting of Defence Ministers from Latin America and the Caribbean to act decisively to prevent the deadly Ebola virus from devastating the region.
Minister Bunting was addressing ‘the Conference of Defence Ministers of the Americas’ which is now underway in Peru.
His call to action comes one day after the United States disclosed that it’s handling a second suspected case of Ebola.
Thirty-four Defence Ministers and Heads of Delegation from the region are in attendance at the Conference in Peru’s second most populous city of Arequipo, including US Secretary of Defence, Chuck Hagel.
Jamaica’s National Security Minister warned that the devastation caused by the Ebola virus in West African is clear evidence that there needs to be a sharp and coordinated response from Security Forces in the Americas to protect their respective borders.
Minister Bunting told the meeting that many Caribbean and Latin American countries have been hit hard by the Chikungunya virus.
He noted that the far more devastating Ebola virus, is now on the region’s doorsteps and the security forces are potential first respondents.
Bunting cautioned that if Latin America and the Caribbean is to prevent the spread of Ebola, cooperation among its security forces must be heightened.
Shortly after his presentation, Minister Bunting spoke to Nationwide News.
He says Jamaica is particularly keen to learn from countries in the Americas who’ve set up military medical systems to support the state’s response to dangers, including Chik-V and Ebola.
Bunting was the first of several ministers and delegation heads who addressed today’s conference in Peru.
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