The United Nations (UN) has commended President John Dramani Mahama,
for his leadership foresight, courage and inspirational role to host the
UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) in Accra.
“On behalf of Mr Ban Ki-moon, the UN
Secretary General extend the world body’s sincerely appreciation for the
support and decisive leadership exhibited by President Mahama and the
government of Ghana for generously hosting UNMEER at that difficult
time,” Mr Maged Abdelaziz , Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on
Africa, stated on behalf of the UN Secretary General at the New York.
Mr Abdelaziz made the commendation at a
high-level meeting of ECOWAS Ministers in Charge of Gender and Women’s
Affairs at the margins of the 59th Session of the UN Commission on the
Status of Women at the New York.
UNMEER was established on September 19, 2014
after the unanimous adoption of the General Assembly Resolution 69/1,
and the adoption of the Security Council Resolution 2177 (2014) on the
Ebola outbreak.
UNMEER was set up as a temporary measure to
meet immediate needs related to the unprecedented fight against Ebola
and Ghana under the leadership of President Mahama who is also the
current ECOWAS Chairman accepted to host the mission.
Mr Abdelaziz also commended the ECOWAS
President, Mr Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, and the African Union, for
supporting and joining global efforts to combat the Ebola Virus Disease,
especially in the most affected countries.
The President of the Bureau of Ministers of
Social Development for ECOWAS, Nana Oye Lithur, who chaired the
high-level meeting, recounted that Ebola has caused so much
humanitarian disaster, displaced many people, created a wave of
orphans, and also negatively impacted on the economic fortunes of
affected countries and the sub-region as a whole.
She said Ebola recovery measures should
address the needs of women, and harness their leadership roles as
caregivers, change agents and community leaders.
“It is vital that women are equipped with
requisite knowledge on Ebola so that they are able to support the Ebola
prevention programmes. We request that the planning, programming,
procurement, management, community programmes and recovery processes be
made gender sensitive and participatory.
“Gender disaggregated data should be
collected at all times,” Nana Oye Lithur who is also Ghana’s Minister of
Gender, Children and Social Protection, stated.
The Gender Minister challenged the
international community, governments and other stakeholders, to focus
on women as key agents of change and social mobilizers with a central
role to play in sharing knowledge, raising awareness and enhancing care.
“We as ministers in charge of Women Affairs
in the ECOWAS sub-region, are committed to prioritizing gender and
sustaining progress in fulfilling the gender agenda,” she noted.
The ECOWAS Ministers in charge of Gender and
Women’s Affairs also used the platform to evaluate the negative
socio-economic impact of Ebla haemorrhagic on West African women and
proposes a regional programme to support the reintegration of victims in
affected countries.
The high-level ECOWAS Gender Ministers
meeting also assessed the impact of EVD on West African women; adopted a
common strategy and innovative actions to limit the negative
consequences of EVD on women and facilitate their rapid socio-economic
rehabilitation by monitoring the gender indicators in the post-Ebola
response.
SOURCE: Francis Ameyibor, GNA Special UN Correspondent, New York
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
UN: Ebola Not Over Until Cases Reach Zero
The three presidents of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea have set April 15 as the goal for reaching zero cases of Ebola. The UNICEF representative in Sierra Leone, Roeland Monasch, tells VOA it is hard to predict whether this wished for goal will be reached.
“Every day I look at my e-mails at the end of the day to look at the score," said Monasch. "And, every day I pray it is zero; but, every day, unfortunately it is not ...We call it a bumpy road to zero. It is going up and it is going down. We see days when we have 20 to 25 cases. We see days when we have two or three cases.”
The World Health Organization reports nearly 24,600 cases of Ebola, including 10,144 deaths in the three West African countries. The U.N. Children’s Fund reports 20 percent of these infections are among children. In addition, the agency notes more than 16,000 children have lost one or both parents to this disease.
Monasch says children also remain vulnerable to other killer diseases. He says Sierra Leone has the highest under five mortality rate in the world and this has risen in the last nine to 12 months because of Ebola.
The UNICEF representative says it is crucial to start building better basic health facilities so children can access non-Ebola health services, which have broken down during the course of the epidemic.
“Children are dying from very easily preventable diseases like malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia," said Monasch. "And, as UNICEF we have been working very closely with the Ministries of Health to make sure that there are health workers, to make sure that there are medicines in place; but, unfortunately, people are so afraid to come to the clinics to be identified to be an Ebola patient or to get infected by Ebola that children are dying at home of preventable diseases.”
UNICEF says the outbreak will not be over until there are zero cases of Ebola. To get there, it says every single contact has to be traced and monitored to make sure no hidden cases remain.
The agency warns against the enormous risk of complacency. It says people must not let down their guard because they believe the epidemic is over and revert to behavior that could again spread the disease. UNICEF says communities must continue to conduct safe burials and households where Ebola is detected must be quarantined.
SOURCE: VOA News
Ebola: US aid worker evacuated from Sierra Leone 'critical'
The condition of a US aid worker who tested positive for Ebola has
changed from serious to critical, hospital officials have said.The patient - a clinician - was airlifted from Sierra Leone and admitted to the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, on Friday.
Ten other healthcare workers "who came to the aid of their ailing colleague" are being transported to the US, said charity Partners in Health.
They are being monitored for symptoms.
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a team to Sierra Leone to investigate how the healthcare worker became exposed and determine who might have been in contact with the infected person.
The patient is the eleventh person with the deadly virus to be treated in the US.
More than 10,000 people have died in the current Ebola outbreak - 3,687 in Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organisation.
BBC
ECOWAS Gender ministers pledge support for fight against Ebola
Ministers in charge of Gender and Women Affairs of ECOWAS have declared
their total commitment to fight for the complete eradication of the
Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) and for life to return to normal in the
region.
In a communique issued after an interactive session held on the margins of the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, the ministers pledged to achieve their aim through supporting member states, ECOWAS and the development partners in their effort to fight EVD.
The meeting discussed the negative impact of EVD at social and economic levels on women in West Africa and agreed on priority actions and strategies to be carried out to overcome the negative consequences of EVD on women in West Africa.
It was on the theme: “Gender and Ebola, the impact of the disease on women in West Africa.”
The ministers further requested ECOWAS, the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), the African Union (AU) and other partners to be actively involved and regularly consult the national gender machinery for actions to be carried out for a response against the EVD in the short, medium and long terms.
On medical support, the communique called for an upgrading of the health systems of all West African countries, particularly in the countries affected, “to ensure permanent resilience to this type of scourges.”
In addition, the ministers emphasised the need for measures to address the social needs of the widows and orphans.
The communique further said the sanitary measures in force at the borders and in public places should be maintained and permanent public awareness campaigns carried out through women’s groups and organisations for the adoption of sustainable hygienic behaviours.
In a statement to open the meeting, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, who is also the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Gender Ministers group, said the Ebola outbreak had caused so much humanitarian disaster, displaced many people and created a wave of orphans, and also negatively impacted the economic fortunes of affected countries and the sub-region as a whole. “Since Ebola is spread through bodily fluids, women as primary care providers in the community and as medical professionals are at an increased risk of contracting the virus. Furthermore, women are those who perform certain traditional practices and rituals for deceased persons. This poses a threat,” Nana Oye said. She said unverified figures cited by the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that as many as 75 per cent Ebola fatalities in Liberia were women, while in Sierra Leone, women represented around 59 per cent of the deaths caused by Ebola. She said the Ebola response should address the needs of women and equip them with the requisite knowledge on Ebola so that they would be in a better position to support the Ebola prevention programmes. “We request that the planning, programming, procurement, management, community programmes and recovery processes be made gender sensitive and participatory,” she added and called on the international community, governments and other stakeholders to focus on women as key agents of change and social mobilisers with a central role to play in sharing knowledge, raising awareness and enhancing care.
Ms Julia Duncan-Cassell, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection of the Republic of Liberia, said border closures and travel restrictions greatly affected the livelihoods of women who were mostly cross-border traders.
“From June to October 2014, Liberia stood still; women farmers could not farm, health services shut down and pregnant women had babies on the streets,” she said.
She called on all to work to isolate the disease because of its devastating effect on a country’s development.
“This time it was Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia , we don’t know whose turn it will be next if the proper procedures are not put in place,” she said.
source: Ghana web
In a communique issued after an interactive session held on the margins of the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, the ministers pledged to achieve their aim through supporting member states, ECOWAS and the development partners in their effort to fight EVD.
The meeting discussed the negative impact of EVD at social and economic levels on women in West Africa and agreed on priority actions and strategies to be carried out to overcome the negative consequences of EVD on women in West Africa.
It was on the theme: “Gender and Ebola, the impact of the disease on women in West Africa.”
The ministers further requested ECOWAS, the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), the African Union (AU) and other partners to be actively involved and regularly consult the national gender machinery for actions to be carried out for a response against the EVD in the short, medium and long terms.
On medical support, the communique called for an upgrading of the health systems of all West African countries, particularly in the countries affected, “to ensure permanent resilience to this type of scourges.”
In addition, the ministers emphasised the need for measures to address the social needs of the widows and orphans.
The communique further said the sanitary measures in force at the borders and in public places should be maintained and permanent public awareness campaigns carried out through women’s groups and organisations for the adoption of sustainable hygienic behaviours.
In a statement to open the meeting, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, who is also the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Gender Ministers group, said the Ebola outbreak had caused so much humanitarian disaster, displaced many people and created a wave of orphans, and also negatively impacted the economic fortunes of affected countries and the sub-region as a whole. “Since Ebola is spread through bodily fluids, women as primary care providers in the community and as medical professionals are at an increased risk of contracting the virus. Furthermore, women are those who perform certain traditional practices and rituals for deceased persons. This poses a threat,” Nana Oye said. She said unverified figures cited by the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that as many as 75 per cent Ebola fatalities in Liberia were women, while in Sierra Leone, women represented around 59 per cent of the deaths caused by Ebola. She said the Ebola response should address the needs of women and equip them with the requisite knowledge on Ebola so that they would be in a better position to support the Ebola prevention programmes. “We request that the planning, programming, procurement, management, community programmes and recovery processes be made gender sensitive and participatory,” she added and called on the international community, governments and other stakeholders to focus on women as key agents of change and social mobilisers with a central role to play in sharing knowledge, raising awareness and enhancing care.
Ms Julia Duncan-Cassell, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection of the Republic of Liberia, said border closures and travel restrictions greatly affected the livelihoods of women who were mostly cross-border traders.
“From June to October 2014, Liberia stood still; women farmers could not farm, health services shut down and pregnant women had babies on the streets,” she said.
She called on all to work to isolate the disease because of its devastating effect on a country’s development.
“This time it was Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia , we don’t know whose turn it will be next if the proper procedures are not put in place,” she said.
source: Ghana web
Friday, 16 January 2015
Togolese President in Accra for Ebola meeting
Togolese
President, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, ECOWAS’ Contact Person on Ebola
is in Accra to participate in a High Level Coordination meeting of
ECOWAS, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and other partners.
The meeting will make an assessment of the progress made so far by the West African sub-region in combating the disease.
President Gnassigbe was met at the airport by Vice President, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur on Thursday.
The meeting which will be chaired by ECOWAS chairman, President John Mahama will discuss the effective coordination of the Ebola Response Initiatives and provide a platform for the sharing of information on the situation in affected member states.
The meeting will take place at the Accra International Conference Center on Friday.
- See more at: http://www.citifmonline.com/2015/01/16/togolese-president-accra-ebola-meeting/#sthash.x9tBoQC9.dpufTogolese President, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, ECOWAS’ Contact Person on Ebola is in Accra to participate in a High Level Coordination meeting of ECOWAS, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and other partners.
The meeting will make an assessment of the progress made so far by the West African sub-region in combating the disease.
President Gnassigbe was met at the airport by Vice President, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur on Thursday.
The meeting which will be chaired by ECOWAS chairman, President John Mahama will discuss the effective coordination of the Ebola Response Initiatives and provide a platform for the sharing of information on the situation in affected member states.
The meeting will take place at the Accra International Conference Center on Friday.
- See more at: http://www.citifmonline.com/2015/01/16/togolese-president-accra-ebola-meeting/#sthash.x9tBoQC9.dpufTogolese President, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, ECOWAS’ Contact Person on Ebola is in Accra to participate in a High Level Coordination meeting of ECOWAS, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and other partners.
The meeting will make an assessment
of the progress made so far by the West African sub-region in combating the
disease.
President Gnassigbe was met at the
airport by Vice President, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur on Thursday.
The meeting which will be chaired by
ECOWAS chairman, President John Mahama will discuss the effective coordination
of the Ebola Response Initiatives and provide a platform for the sharing of
information on the situation in affected member states.
The meeting will take place at the
Accra International Conference Center on Friday.
Ghana risks recording Ebola case – Health Minister
Minister
for Health, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman Mensah said Ghana stands a high risk of
recording a case of Ebola due to the continuous interactions with the
countries most affected by the disease.
Dr. Agyeman Mensah who made this observation at a meeting of ECOWAS Health Ministers in Accra.
“Ghana however stands at high risk of
infection on the counts that we have Ghanaian fishermen from Sierra
Leone and Liberia who might return home to their relatives and the
refugee camp at Budumburam with Liberian citizens which is noted as
constant interaction between them an relatives in Ghana”
But the Minister therefore assured
Ghanaians that these inhabitants are constantly monitored adding,
“these travelers are have been identified and monitored and the local
health systems have alerted their contact tracing teams to monitor and
follow these returnees up to the maximum incubation period of 21 days.”
Dr Mensah however said Ghana has put in
place stringent measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the
country stating, “these are indications on how far the government has
gone in putting stringent measures for any possibilities.”
He then disclose that the even though the country has reported suspected case all tests turned out to be negative.
“In Ghana as at 10th January
this year 131 suspected Ebola cases have been reported and test as the
Nuguchi Memorial Institute for Medical research indicates that all are
negative for Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fever,” he said.
-
By: Patricia Conteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana
- See more at: http://www.citifmonline.com/2015/01/16/ghana-risks-recording-ebola-case-health-minister/#sthash.RvPG96aw.dpufMinister
for Health, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman Mensah said Ghana stands a high risk of
recording a case of Ebola due to the continuous interactions with the
countries most affected by the disease.Minister
for Health, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman Mensah said Ghana stands a high risk of recording
a case of Ebola due to the continuous interactions with the countries
most affected by the disease.
According to the Minister,
activities of fishermen on the Gulf of Guinea and relationships between
Liberians and their relatives in the Budumburam camp are mostly risks factors.
Dr.
Agyeman Mensah who made this observation at a meeting of ECOWAS Health
Ministers in Accra.
“Ghana
however stands at high risk of infection on the counts that we have Ghanaian
fishermen from Sierra Leone and Liberia who might return home to their
relatives and the refugee camp at Budumburam with Liberian citizens which is
noted as constant interaction between them an relatives in Ghana”
But
the Minister therefore assured Ghanaians that these inhabitants are constantly
monitored adding, “these travelers are have been identified and monitored
and the local health systems have alerted their contact tracing teams to
monitor and follow these returnees up to the maximum incubation period of 21
days.”
Dr
Mensah however said Ghana has put in place stringent measures to prevent the
outbreak of the disease in the country stating, “these are indications on how
far the government has gone in putting stringent measures for any
possibilities.”
He
then disclose that the even though the country has reported suspected case all
tests turned out to be negative.
“In
Ghana as at 10th January this year 131 suspected Ebola cases have
been reported and test as the Nuguchi Memorial Institute for Medical research
indicates that all are negative for Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fever,”
he said.
-
By:
Patricia Conteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Dr. Agyeman Mensah who made this observation at a meeting of ECOWAS Health Ministers in Accra.
“Ghana however stands at high risk of
infection on the counts that we have Ghanaian fishermen from Sierra
Leone and Liberia who might return home to their relatives and the
refugee camp at Budumburam with Liberian citizens which is noted as
constant interaction between them an relatives in Ghana”
But the Minister therefore assured
Ghanaians that these inhabitants are constantly monitored adding,
“these travelers are have been identified and monitored and the local
health systems have alerted their contact tracing teams to monitor and
follow these returnees up to the maximum incubation period of 21 days.”
Dr Mensah however said Ghana has put in
place stringent measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the
country stating, “these are indications on how far the government has
gone in putting stringent measures for any possibilities.”
He then disclose that the even though the country has reported suspected case all tests turned out to be negative.
“In Ghana as at 10th January
this year 131 suspected Ebola cases have been reported and test as the
Nuguchi Memorial Institute for Medical research indicates that all are
negative for Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fever,” he said.
-
By: Patricia Conteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana
- See more at: http://www.citifmonline.com/2015/01/16/ghana-risks-recording-ebola-case-health-minister/#sthash.RvPG96aw.dpufWednesday, 14 January 2015
Reports of Ebola case at Korle Bu false
Reports of an Ebola case recorded yesterday at the Korle Bu Polyclinic in Accra turned out to be a false alarm.
When the Daily Graphic visited the polyclinic yesterday, it was operating normally, except that patient attendance was low.
A senior official of the polyclinic attributed the low attendance to the absence of some of its doctors who were attending a training programme.
That assertion was corroborated by a notice by management dated January 9, 2015 and posted on a noticeboard for the attention of clients of the polyclinic, which is quoted below:
“Notice is hereby given that there will be limited number of doctors on duty from Tuesday, January 13, 2015. This is to enable them undergo continuous professional training”.
False alarm
A source at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital also dismissed the reported Ebola case at the polyclinic as false alarm.
It explained that a patient who reported at the polyclinic on Tuesday was suspected to have contracted the deadly Ebola virus.
However, it noted, preliminary investigations ruled out Ebola .
The source said the patient was, subsequently, transferred to the KATH for treatment.
It assured the general public that the KATH had set up Ebola response teams “to help deal with any case that may be detected.”
The source said people could, therefore, visit the hospital without any fear.
When the Daily Graphic visited the polyclinic yesterday, it was operating normally, except that patient attendance was low.
A senior official of the polyclinic attributed the low attendance to the absence of some of its doctors who were attending a training programme.
That assertion was corroborated by a notice by management dated January 9, 2015 and posted on a noticeboard for the attention of clients of the polyclinic, which is quoted below:
“Notice is hereby given that there will be limited number of doctors on duty from Tuesday, January 13, 2015. This is to enable them undergo continuous professional training”.
False alarm
A source at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital also dismissed the reported Ebola case at the polyclinic as false alarm.
It explained that a patient who reported at the polyclinic on Tuesday was suspected to have contracted the deadly Ebola virus.
However, it noted, preliminary investigations ruled out Ebola .
The source said the patient was, subsequently, transferred to the KATH for treatment.
It assured the general public that the KATH had set up Ebola response teams “to help deal with any case that may be detected.”
The source said people could, therefore, visit the hospital without any fear.
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