In light of the
current epidemic of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa, we the
undersigned civil society organizations call on ECOWAS member states to appoint
a leading, influential, strong and knowledgeable West African physician or
health professional as ECOWAS Special Envoy on Ebola.
The current epidemic, which has been
characterized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the deadliest Ebola
outbreak since this virus was discovered in 1976, has claimed the lives of at
least 1,552 people in West Africa including many health personnel.
We applaud and support the brave work of the
health personnel who continue to put their lives at risk in the care of victims
of Ebola despite very difficult working environment. We stand in solidarity with
our brothers, sisters, families, and communities who are battling for their
lives and struggling to care for loved ones.
West African economies are feeling the impact
of the world's worst outbreak of Ebola. Travel and trade restrictions are
limiting the deployment of medical personnel, equipment and commodities adding
to the deadly risk that the EVD already poses to the communities and the
economies of the affected countries and the region. This epidemic has exposed
the challenges of our public health systems and our governance institutions.
The recently released WHO roadmap predicts that
20,000 people may ultimately be infected in this outbreak. Therefore, the
challenge ahead is steep and a lot of work has to be done urgently to stem this
dangerous situation and avoid an even greater catastrophe.
Cross-border coordination and collaboration
necessary to stem the spread of Ebola has been haphazard and chaotic. While
closure of borders may provide short term relief, it is not proving an
effective way of controlling the virus and is also an impediment to
cross-border technical support and humanitarian assistance, giving rise to new
food security challenges.
The challenge of the current epidemic calls for
urgent, unified and concerted efforts by ECOWAS and the international
community. Since regional collaboration and coordination have been the main
impediments in the management of this epidemic, we particularly appreciate and
welcome the decision of ECOWAS to put in place a regional monitoring mechanism
composed of two entities: the ministerial coordination group chaired by the
Ghanaian health minister and a technical monitoring workgroup with members such
as WHO Afro and the West African Health Organization (WAHO).
The work of this monitoring mechanism should continue
even in the post-Ebola period given the negative impact that the epidemic is
having on health systems, on economies, and on social ties and community
relations.
For these reasons, we urge the appointment of
the ECOWAS Special Envoy on Ebola. Such an envoy will complement the efforts of
WHO’s envoy Dr David Nabarro, help draw attention to the public health and
humanitarian challenges posed by Ebola and become a regional voice and leader
for a regional response plan led by African and international contributors.
The Envoy could also be the voice calling for
effective management and coordination of cross-border transportation and
logistics. The challenge we face is extraordinary and ECOWAS needs to create a
specialized platform to address this.
We urge all ECOWAS member States to push for this resolution and to develop a concrete plan for operationalizing effective coordination. We call on the international community to provide needed assistance in ensuring that the response to Ebola in the region is effective, humane and sustainable.
We urge all ECOWAS member States to push for this resolution and to develop a concrete plan for operationalizing effective coordination. We call on the international community to provide needed assistance in ensuring that the response to Ebola in the region is effective, humane and sustainable.
We acknowledge that the efforts of ECOWAS and
the international community can only yield results if residents of the region
do their part. Hence, we also urge the populations and all civil society
organizations to show more solidarity by providing support to populations that
are affected by EVD and be cautious by observing the preventive and protective
measures identified by the WHO.
Under-signed CSOs:
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