AU Commission celebrates Ebola defeat

With deadly Ebola under control on the African continent, the African Union Commission (AUC) has organised celebrations to recognise the roles played by different stakeholders, including the governments, health workers and financiers.

The Luncheon to be hosted by the AUC Chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma on Sunday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia will be attended by Heads of State, senior government officials, business personalities, companies and partners that contributed to the African Union Support to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA), and health workers.

Hundreds of people died of Ebola in the West African nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and Uganda is among countries that sent the health workers, who risked their lives, to treat the affected.

"The efforts of health workers, the African private sector and others have been recognised across the world, and this will be an opportunity for the African Union to celebrate and acknowledge the role of a range of stakeholders in mobilising solidarity to defeat this epidemic," the African Union said.

A total of 855 African health workers were deployed in the three most affected countries by the African Union.

They will recognize the roles played by different stakeholders, including the governments and people of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone; AU Member states who made financial and other contributions, and seconded health workers; the ASEOWA health workers who risked their lives and contributed towards turning the trajectory of the disease.

Also the private sector who contributed financially and otherwise to the Ebola efforts, especially the up-scaling of ASEOWA deployment; AU partners who contributed in kind and to the financing of ASEOWA; and the international community for their solidarity in the fight against Ebola.

They will also celebrate the collective victory against the Ebola virus epidemic, the lessons learnt and the formal end of the ASEOWA mandate, as Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone move towards maintaining zero infections and containment.

The function, according to AU, will highlight the importance of the African Centre for Disease Control, and on-going strengthening of public health as critical to the goal of Agenda 2063 of investing in the African people, and reaching the SDGs on health.