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    African Union Commissioner Meets with the President of the Republic of Liberia H.E Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in...
    October 06, 2014

    Press Release Nº258/2014

    African Union Commissioner Meets with the President of the Republic of Liberia H.E Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Monrovia

    Monrovia, Liberia –6 October 2014: The African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs H. E. Dr. Mustapha SidikiKaloko, accompanied by the Head of Mission of the African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA) Dr Julius Oketta and AU Representatives to Liberia and Sierra Leone Ambassador Harrison Solaja, on Saturday 4 October 2014 briefed the President of the Republic of Liberia H.E Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on the African Union interventions in the fight against Ebola. The Commissioner told the President that his visit was to support the implementation of various decisions of the African Union that led to the deployment of a team of health experts to Liberia with the aim of complementing the efforts of the Government of Liberia and other partners in the fight against Ebola. He further explained steps being taken by the AU Commission to get Member States to rescind travel restrictions imposed on the affected countries. He emphasized the urgent need to open all borders to ease the humanitarian difficulties by ensuring the unhindered movements of people, including health personnel, commodities and food supplies to the three countries.

    In response, President Johnson-Sirleaf expressed appreciation with the role the AU is playing under the leadership of the African Union Commission Chairperson, HE Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma in the fight against Ebola. She welcomed the deployment of AU medical team and AU decisions that called upon Member States to lift travel restrictions imposed on the affected countries. The President underlined the need for proper coordination among all humanitarian actors on the ground and pointed out that her Government has put in place proper structures to facilitate the coordination of the exercise. “With effective collaboration, Ebola will be a thing of the past” President optimistically told the AU delegation.

    Commissioner Kaloko also met and briefed the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General (SRSG) to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), the UN Resident Coordinator and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the ASEOWA operation and other interventions the AU has put in place to combat the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease. He noted that AU through ASEOWA will work closely with UNMIL, UNMEER, WHO, ECOWAS and other partners in the fight against Ebola. The SRSG UNMIL lauded the AU initiative to deploy health personnel and promised to provide support to the ASEOWA operation.

    In a related development, the Commissioner called upon the media to intensify public campaigns to contain the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease. Addressing a press conference in Monrovia, the Commissioner pleaded with journalists to robustly engage with and educate communities on the prescribed method to stop the spread the virus.

    Meanwhile, the Commissioner and his team are now on their way to Conakry, Guinea as he continues his visit of some West African states to discuss the responses to the Ebola outbreak. WB/WZM

    For further information contact

    Wynne Musabayana | Deputy Head of Division | Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | Tel: (251) 11 551 77 00 | Fax: (251) 11 551 78 44 | E-mail: MusabayanaW@africa-union.org | Web: www.au.int|Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

    Wurie Bah|| Social Affairs | African Union Commission |Tel: +251115182227| E-mail: Bahw@africa-union.org | Web:www.au.int|Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

    About the African Union

    The African Union spearheads Africa’s development and integration in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. AU Vision:to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and inclusive Africa, at peacewith itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an accountable,efficient and responsive Commission. Learn more at: http://www.au.int/en/

  • Event
    AU Commissioner in Meetings with Nigerian Ministers Focusing on Responses to the Ebola Crisis
    AU Commissioner in Meetings with Nigerian Ministers Focusing on Responses to the Ebola Crisis
    October 01, 2014

    AU COMMISSIONER IN MEETINGS WITH NIGERIAN MINISTERS FOCUSING ON RESPONSES TO THE EBOLA CRISIS

    Press Release

    Addis Ababa, 1 October 2014-AU Commissioner of Social Affairs Dr. Mustapha Kaloko has briefed the Nigerian Federal Minister of Health Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu on the Commission’s response to the Ebola crisis, and the deployment of the African Union Support to Ebola in West Africa (ASEOWA) mission to tackle the emergency situation caused by the Ebola outbreak. He commended the exemplary action of the Nigerian Government in containing the disease.

    On ASEOWA, the Commissioner said the operation aims at filling the existing gap in international efforts to combat the disease, and pointed that ASEOWA will work with affected countries, World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United States Center for Disease Control (CDC), European Union and other agencies already on the ground. He emphasized the need for strong health institutions and called for the lifting of restrictions such as border closures and opening of humanitarian corridors so as to get food supplies and other commodities to the affected countries. The Commissioner called for concerted efforts in the fight against Ebola and underscored the need for fast tracking of the establishment of an African CDC. He appealed to Nigeria to continue training more field epidemiologists in the region.

    In response, the Nigerian Federal Minister of Health, commended the AU for the interest shown in the fight against Ebola as manifested by the deployment of health experts in the affected region. He called for proper coordination and strong leadership in the process. The Minister however, encouraged the AU and other partners to use the structures available within the West African Health Organisation in the excercise. He assured the AU of Nigeria’s commitment to maintain open borders with the affected countries and encouraged other Member States to do likewise in accordance with the positions of ECOWAS and the AU. He called for focus on case management, contact tracing, community engagement, psychosocial needs and food and other supplies. He underscored the need to ensure the safety of health workers and for a robust communication campaign to engage affected communities. The Minister said that the private sector should be encouraged to support the fight against EVD, and that private hospitals and survivors should be supported.

    In another engagement, the AU Commissioner met the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Alhaji Aminu Wali and briefed him on the interventions the AU has put in place in the fight against Ebola. While commending the AU for showing strong leadership in the fight against Ebola, the Minister appealed to Member States to end the stigmatization and closure of borders with affected countries. He mentioned the humanitarian difficulties the residents of the affected countries are facing as a result of the closures and pledged to engage ECOWAS Member States and some regional airlines with a view of allowing the free movements of people and supplies to the affected countries. The Commissioner commended the minister on Nigeria’s position.

    The Commissioner also commended ECOWAS for the role it is playing in the fight to tackle the EVD. He expressed AU’s satisfaction with ECOWAS and regional activities aimed at containing the disease, such as the establishment of a coordination centre in Guinea and called for the strengthening of the coordination and integration efforts.