Japan gives $150m for Ebola

• Posted on December 9, 2014December 9, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

KAORU YOSHIMURA, the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, has said that the Japanese government has so far contributed approximately $150 million for the fight of the deadly Ebola disease.

The funds, he noted, was to assist in the efforts to contain the further spread of the disease in relevant West African countries.

According to new reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO), nearly 7,000 people have died from the Ebola virus disease in three West African countries-Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone the most affected by the current outbreak.

A total of 6,928 people have died of the disease in the three countries since the outbreak began, with Liberia recording the biggest rise in deaths.

Speaking at a reception to mark the National Day celebration of Japan in Accra, Mr Yoshimura said the Japanese government among others has committed its assistance to upgrade the capacity of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research which has played and continues to play a significant role in the Ebola preparedness of Ghana.

The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana disclosed that more Ghanaians would be granted scholarship under the African Business Education (ABE) initiative for the youth in the next coming years.

“I believe all these grassroot exchanges and interactions among Japanese and Ghanaian friends have underpinned and will further strengthen the already cordial friendship between Japan and Ghana” he stated.

Mr Yoshimura said Ghana had always been an important and close partner to Japan, adding that the government and people of Japan have extended assistance for the development of areas including health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, industry and capacity- building in both public and private sectors.

Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Communication, for his part noted that the Japanese government in 2014 alone has extended US$ 22.8 million grant to Ghana for the financing of three projects namely- food security for under-privileged farmers project ; fisheries promotion project in Sekondi and the poverty reduction project.

He said the government and the people of Ghana tremendously acknowledge the sacrifices of the Japanese volunteer corps who are mostly posted to work in the deprived areas of the country, where access to health services, safe drinking water and general qualitative lifestyle are a big challenge even for Ghanaians.

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson