Ebola survivor to testify before Congress

An American doctor who contracted Ebola in West Africa and survived after treatment in the United States will testify before lawmakers about the worsening epidemic.

Kent Brantly of Samaritan’s Purse will speak at a joint Senate hearing on Tuesday, staff for Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) announced.

{mosads}Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden and two other health officials will also testify as lawmakers seek more details on the U.S. response to the outbreak.

Brantly was the second U.S. doctor to be evacuated from West Africa in early August after he fell ill with Ebola. His case gained worldwide attention, particularly after he and fellow aid worker Nancy Writebol recovered from the deadly disease with the help of an experimental drug.

“God saved my life,” Brantly said as he was released from Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital in late August.

Brantly was formerly the medical director of the Samaritan’s Purse Ebola Care Center in Monrovia, Liberia.

The Ebola epidemic emerged earlier this year and has killed nearly 2,300 people across five countries.

The crisis has spurred action from the United States, which is coordinating aid on the ground and ramping up the development of Ebola vaccines and treatments.

The World Health Organization has warned that without a significant increase in response from around the world, the epidemic will pass beyond control.