Ambassador Nancy Powell has been named  to lead the Ebola Coordination Unit at the Department of State.  In this role, Ambassador Powell will lead the State Department’s outreach to international partners, including foreign governments, to ensure a speedy and truly global response to this crisis.

President Obama has declared the Ebola outbreak a national security priority. Speaking on September 16 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the President outlined the U.S. Government’s strategy to address the threat from the worsening Ebola epidemic in West Africa.  The four goals of that strategy are 1) controlling the epidemic at its source in West Africa; 2) mitigating second-order impacts, including blunting the economic, social, and political tolls in the region; 3) engaging and coordinating with a broader global audience; and 4) fortifying global health security infrastructure in the region and beyond.  Even as we lead, the President emphasized at the CDC the need for more nations to contribute the experienced personnel, supplies and funding.  Ambassador Powell, working with leaders from across our government, is leading our efforts to build the coalition required to bring this epidemic under control. 

Ambassador Powell most recently served as U.S. Ambassador to India.  Prior to that, she was the Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources.  Ambassador Powell previously served as the State Department’s Senior Coordinator for Avian Influenza, a role for which she was honored with the Homeland Security Service to America Medal in 2006.