Prez. Mahama to visit Ebola-stricken countries today

• Posted on September 15, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The chairman of the Economic Community for West African Countries (ECOWAS), President John Mahama, will today visit the three West African countries hardest hit by the outbreak of the Ebola virus.

The one-day visit will enable him hold discussions with his colleague Heads of State on available sub-regional and international interventions to support efforts aimed at containing and managing the outbreak.

Some countries and airline operators have banned flights into the three countries; Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea despite several warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO).

President Mahama in his capacity as the ECOWAS chairman has been leading a strong advocacy against any regional and international isolation of the affected countries.

President Mahama has already decided to work with the United Nations to set up an international logistics centre in Accra to serve as the main hub for the fight against Ebola in the West African Sub-region.

President Mahama will, on behalf of the government and people of Ghana, donate quantities of various Made in Ghana products to each country during the visit.

The death toll of the virus has risen to about 2,300 while 4,293 cases have been recorded so far by the WHO.

Despite the frantic efforts being made to stem the spread of the disease, the WHO is predicting that about 20,000 more persons will likely be affected.

By: Efua Idan Osam