Conakry, 25 February 2015 –- WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, arrived Conakry this afternoon for a working visit. She was welcomed by the Minister of Social Action, Women’s Advancement and Childhood, on behalf of the Minister of Health, and the WHO Representative in Guinea. Dr Matshidiso Moeti is accompanied by Dr Delanyo Yao Tsidi Dovlo, Director of Health Systems Strengthening Cluster and Mr Collins Boakye-Agyemang, Communications Officer at the WHO Regional Office for Africa.

The Regional Director’s visit to Guinea falls within the context of her tour of the most Ebola-affected countries. Dr Moeti addressed the media upon her arrival. 
    
Question: What is the purpose of your visit to Guinea?
Dr Moeti: I took office only recently, three weeks ago. I am visiting Guinea because Ebola is my main priority. I intend to witness directly the situation on the ground, determine needs and identify the challenges facing the Government and people of Guinea. This visit is therefore aimed at fine-tuning efforts with WHO country office colleagues and other partners, and increasing our support and scaling up actions to end the epidemic within the set deadline.

Question: You are coming from Sierra Leone. How do you assess cooperation between the two countries in responding to Ebola?
Dr Moeti: I think that cooperation between the two countries is good. Firstly, the Presidents of both countries recently attended, in Conakry, the Summit of Heads of State of the three affected countries in order to organize their joint response to Ebola virus disease. Also, my colleagues informed me in Sierra Leone that cross-border collaboration between the health districts of the two countries is sound. Health services do exchange information on the disease, their experiences on the ground and carry out joint activities regularly, including periodic coordination meetings.

WHO teams in Guinea and Sierra Leone also exchange information in view of a better management of the epidemic. My visit to the two countries is aimed at strengthening such collaboration, accelerating and intensifying interventions to end the epidemic and start rebuilding the health system.

It is worth noting that during her visit to Guinea, the WHO Regional Director for Africa will have a number of meetings with national authorities and partners involved in delivering response to the epidemic. Dr Moeti will visit the Coyah Ebola Treatment Centre situated 50km from Conakry. She will also travel to Labé to attend the Guinea-Mali-Senegal cross-border meeting on Ebola virus disease.

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Technical contact: 

Pr Jean-Marie Dangou, WHO Representative in Guinea; Telephone: +224 623 23 55 55; Email: dangouj [at] who.int

Media contacts: 

Issiaga Konaté, Communications and Health Promotion, WHO Guinea; Telephone: + 224 622 59 70 42/ GPN 31222; Emails: konatei [at] who.int / konateiz [at] gmail.com
Jean-Pierre Ouendéno, WHO consultant; Telephone: +224 623 23 26 63/662 519 012; Email: jpdekossa [at] yahoo.fr
Lancei Touré; Telephone:  + 224 628 10 71 28; Email: lanceit [at] yahoo.com 
Boakye-Agyemang Collins, Communications Officer, WHO/AFRO; Email: boakyeagyemangc [at] who.int
Koné Souleymane, HPR/WHO/Côte d’Ivoire; Email : koneso [at] who.int