“Ebola: A collective African effort to confront the danger
Abdel Ghaffar affirms Egypt's support for the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda
Written by: Mohammed Omran
At a time when the African continent is facing renewed health challenges, the specter has returned. Ebola It is once again on the agenda of decision-makers, with growing fears of the outbreak spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. As infections and deaths increase, continental and international efforts are accelerating to coordinate an urgent response to prevent the crisis from turning into a widespread regional threat, amid assurances that the confrontation is no longer just a health issue, but is also linked to the health security and economic and social stability of the entire continent.
During the high-level ministerial meeting of the High-Level Ministerial Committee of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, chaired by Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egyptian Minister of Health and Population, to discuss developments in the Ebola epidemic situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, via video conference, participants stressed the importance of taking rapid action to address cross-border health challenges, with a focus on strengthening surveillance and rapid response systems and raising the readiness of the health sector in countries at risk.
The meeting was attended by the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Jean Kassia, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Sanya Nishtar, CEO of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), Dr. Mohamed Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, along with the Ministers of Health who are members of the Committee, representatives of African countries, and international partners.
Egypt affirms its support for Congo and Uganda in their fight against Ebola
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar stressed the importance of urgent action and unified continental coordination to confront cross-border health challenges, emphasizing that Africa possesses the expertise and institutional capabilities that qualify it to respond effectively to crises. He pointed out that the current challenge extends beyond the health aspect to include health security and socio-economic impacts.
The Minister expressed the full solidarity of the Arab Republic of Egypt with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and the affected countries, and offered appreciation to the health workers and rapid response teams for their efforts in protecting lives.
Egypt also announced its readiness to provide technical and medical support, including the provision of personal protective equipment, medical aid, and the exchange of expertise in accordance with African mechanisms.
Move Urgent African action to contain the Ebola outbreak on the continent
Abdel Ghaffar stressed the need for a unified African leadership in the response, while welcoming international support from partners, and thanking the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention for its pivotal role in coordination and rapid response.
For his part, Dr. Tedros Adhanom stressed that controlling the Ebola outbreak requires strong leadership and effective international coordination, noting the availability of global expertise to contain the virus as in previous outbreaks, while continuing to develop vaccines and treatments.
While Dr. Jean Cassia reviewed the latest developments in the epidemiological situation, he warned of the increasing numbers of infections and deaths, and called for urgent and direct African action to support the affected countries before the situation worsens.
