Your Excellency the President of Ghana,
Your Excellency the President of ECOWAS Committee
Excellency the Prime Minister of Togo,
Excellency the Vice President of Cape Verde,
Honorable Minister of Health of Ghana,
The Honorable Ministers of Health of ECOWAS Countries,
Director of WAHO,
Excellences Ambassadors and Heads of Agencies,
Senior Ministry of Health Officials,
Members of the Press,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the World Health Organization, I would like to thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana and his Government for hosting this very important meeting and the ECOWAS secretariat for organizing it and for the invitation for us to attend.
Before I start my remarks, I would also like to extend my condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives, including valiant front line health workers, as a result of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in this sub region. May their souls rest in peace.
This meeting is being held against the background of an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola that has so far affected close to 3,000 persons with over 1,500 deaths. The outbreak has also seriously impacted on health workers and has stretched the resources of the affected countries to the limit.
Your Excellency,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Although Africa has experienced and managed over twenty outbreaks of Ebola since the first cases were reported in 1976, the ongoing outbreak is unique in several ways.
This is the first outbreak of Ebola disease in West Africa, and it is the first time we have had simultaneous outbreaks in multiple countries, with urban, rural and cross border spread of the disease.
The uniqueness of this outbreak has highlighted the fragile health systems in the affected countries and the significant deficits in the human, financial and material resources needed for an effective and timely response.
It is due to the seriousness of this outbreak and recognition of its potential for international spread, that WHO has declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
In line with this declaration, several recommendations have been made to member states and these include the following:
- The Head of State should declare a national emergency; personally address the nation to provide information on the situation, the steps being taken to address the outbreak and the critical role of the community in ensuring its rapid control; provide immediate access to emergency financing to initiate and sustain response operations; and ensure all necessary measures are taken to mobilize and remunerate the necessary health care workforce.
- In areas of intense transmission (e.g. the cross border area of Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia), the provision of quality clinical care, and material and psychosocial support for the affected populations should be used as the primary basis for reducing the movement of people, but extraordinary supplemental measures such as quarantine should be used as considered necessary.
- States should conduct exit screening of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings, for unexplained febrile illness consistent with potential Ebola infection. The exit screening should consist of, at a minimum, a questionnaire, a temperature measurement and, if there is a fever, an assessment of the risk that the fever is caused by EVD. Any person with an illness consistent with EVD should not be allowed to travel unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation.
- There should be no general ban on international travel or trade; restrictions outlined in these recommendations regarding the travel of EVD cases and contacts
Your Excellency,
Distinguished Delegates
WHO has noticed that a number of countries in the region are taking decisions inconsistent with the recommendations of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee.
For instance, some countries have closed borders and entry points and banned flights to and from the affected countries, isolating and stigmatizing them and making it difficult to transport supplies, personnel and other resources.
This will impact negatively on our ability to operate in the fight to contain the outbreak. The negative economic and social effects of the current Ebola outbreak are already surfacing in affected and neighbouring countries and we should envisage appropriate intersectoral measures to mitigate them in order to protect the economies of affected countries and sustain the health gains made so far, and prevent humanitarian crisis.
I would like to call all Governments in the Region to adhere to the International Health Regulations and to the recommendation of the EC on the 2014 EVD outbreak.
Your Excellency Mr President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This outbreak has also brought out the need for all African countries to invest adequately in their health system, including preparedness and early warning systems.
Effective health system will rapidly identify and respond to outbreaks and emergencies.
Finally, I would like to end by stating that WHO is working with various important partners (CDC, MSF, UN Agencies and others …) through the SUB REGIONAL EBOLA OUTBREAK COORDINATING CENTER BASED IN CONAKRY to manage the response of this outbreak. We are also working with the African Union to strengthen advocacy, resource mobilization and recruitment of more health staff. The African Federation of Public Health Association is also participating in the identification of the health specialists to be sent to affected countries.
Two days ago in Abidjan I signed with Dr Donald Kaberuka the President of the ADB Group, an Agreement for USD60 million - Ebola grant, flexible money, to boost the immediate response capacity of health services in affected countries. The WAHO and ADB have been invited to join the Ebola Coordination Centre in Conakry to ensure that all our efforts are well coordinated towards an effective response. The United Nations Secretary General, has appointed a UN Senior Special Representative, Dr David Nabarro to Coordinate the UN Agencies’ support to countries affected with the Ebola Virus Disease. The Director General of WHO, Dr Margaret Chan is working closely with Mr Ban Ki Moon to establish a global and country platform to boost the UN support to affected countries. The WHO will continue working with all Member States to effectively contain the EVD and bring the epidemic to an end.
Thank you for your attention.