Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 26 March 2015- The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (PTA Bank) has pledged support for the fight against Ebola by providing a capacity building grant of USD 50 000 to the Africa against Ebola Solidarity Trust (AAEST). These funds will be utilized to support the establishment of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (African CDC) to build Africa’s capacity to deal with public health emergencies in the future.

To recognize the donation, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa on 26th of March between the Chairperson of the AU Commission Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and the President and Chief Executive of the PTA Bank, Mr. Admassu Tadesse.

Appreciating the PTA Bank’s contribution, Dr Dlamini Zuma highlighted that the fight against Ebola is continuing. “The last mile seems to be the most difficult”, she said, adding that the PTA bank is coming in at the right time, as the ASEOWA mission needs to be on the ground for some time to come.

Mr Tadesse on the other hand, expressed the bank’s commitment to continuing its support, saying “The PTA has a duty to throw its support behind the leadership of the African Union.”

AAEST was established as a charitable trust under the laws of Mauritius for the purpose of raising funds to be deployed to train, equip and deploy African health workers in the fight against Ebola, to build long term local health capacity and continental capacity for disease control. In partnership with the African Union, the AAEST’s mission is to mobilize resources to support much-needed health workers drawn from within Africa to the Ebola-afflicted countries through the African Union Support to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA).

The PTA Bank is a multilateral development financial institution established by the Charter of the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank, whose objectives include, among others, cooperating with other institutions and organizations, public or private, national or international, which are interested in the economic and social development of the Member States of the PTA Bank.

Further media inquiries should be directed to:
Mrs Wynne Musabayana | Deputy Head of Communication and Information 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

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