mr. chairman. >> thank you, dr. brantly. thank you for your courage and for being here, being an example. thank you. we'll get on to questions. but mr. charles, welcome. and please proceed. >> thank you very much. chairman harkin, senators, dr. kent brantly, and fellow guests of this committee, thank you for the opportunity to allow me to come all the way from west africa and testify in front of you today. my name is ishmel alfred charles a resident of sierra leone. i'm married. i'm a father of two children. two girls, 9 months, and 10 years. i arrived yesterday morning around 2:00 a.m. to share with you what my country is currently dealing with on a daily basis with the current ebola outbreak. while still trying to rebuild from the brutal civil war, unlike the civil war, sierra leone, the outbreak creates more fear to the entire population. that's one goal. in the civil, it was at a time a certain population would be afraid of the attack. today the general atmosphere in my country and among all africans within the west afric

brantly, mr. charles. thank you both. mr. you for your work in prevention and bringing awareness here and drchl brantly, thanks for being a good samaritan and we greatly admire what you've done. you're a survivor of ebola. is it like cancer that is in remission? are you cured? or do you know? >> thank you, senator? i'm cured from ebola. >> so it's gone from you. >> yes, when a person survivors ebola, when they recover, they're not a carrier of the virus. the dr. at emery university was very clear to say we pose no public health risk. so there's no risk to the public from a survivor. there's a lot of stigma attached to being a survivor of ebola. but we could -- >> can an ebola survivor become infected once again? or are you then immune from ebola? >> in theory, and i think in practice, i am immune to the strain of ebola that i was infected with. but there are five different strains of ebola. if i went to the democratic republic of con go, i may not be immune to the strain causing outbreak there. >> you talked about you treated

mr. chairman. doctor kent brantly, mr. charles, thank you for being here. mr. charles, when you go back and see her daughters, i hope that you share with them that the purpose of this committee should try to make sure that we can process enough to make sure that we can provide what is needed from a standpoint of the resources. there are pieces of government responsibility to get them there and to train and equip and we have to make sure that we have the resources, and what you have shared with us, both of you, it is invaluable from a standpoint of how we look at it and, as both senators said, to see the human face on the issue. it's absolutely crucial to those of us that sit on this committee and in this institution and ask taxpayers to fund things from people that they will never meet. but i do have a couple of questions. doctor brantley, are you convinced that z-mapp played a role in your care? >> thank you, senator. my opinion -- >> i.t. program from a standpoint of supportive care -- >> i was receiving the best care that they can afford to give me in liberi

mr. chairman. doctor kent brantly, mr. charles, thank you for being here. mr. charles, when you go back and see her daughters, i hope that you share with them that the purpose of this committee should try to make sure that we can process enough to make sure that we can provide what is needed from a standpoint of the resources. there are pieces of government responsibility to get them there and to train and equip and we have to make sure that we have the resources, and what you have shared with us, both of you, it is invaluable from a standpoint of how we look at it and, as both senators said, to see the human face on the issue. it's absolutely crucial to those of us that sit on this committee and in this institution and ask taxpayers to fund things from people that they will never meet. but i do have a couple of questions. doctor brantley, are you convinced that z-mapp played a role in your care? >> thank you, senator. my opinion -- >> i.t. program from a standpoint of supportive care -- >> i was receiving the best care that they can afford to give me in liberi

mr. charles it is great to have you but dr. brantly is great to see you. but it is great that you are well enough to be here a hunt travel here and that we're not afraid to have you here but this is a stunning accomplishment ice said what it is a matter of hours doing this to city into dr. brantly? you look so much like her. we're glad you are here. first of all, of the issue of who is in charge from senator harkin i think usaid is it in charge of responding it a disaster and their to be acknowledged for their ability to do that but the size and scope of watching government agencies this the day higher authority to command personnel on a bipartisan basis to the kinda of resources to do this because what we're doing today just go to use the appropriations we will need dod and hhs and cdc so i think mr. chairman across the aisle you should ask the president we gave up point person to do this. >> i just want to make sure i did not have of this conception. i've met on the ground coordination in the middle of that area but i take your point. >> here is my point