Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said Monday that border closures and the suspension of flights to Ebola-affected countries in West Africa worsened the impact of the disease on the local populations than the disease itself.
At the start of a session of the AU Executive Council, grouping foreign ministers, the AU also warned that the impact of the disease on the local population in countries like Nigeria, where cases of the disease have been reported, could change drastically with huge impacts on the economies of the other neighbours.
“We should ensure that Ebola does not spread to other countries by implementing effective procedures to detect, isolate and treat those who may be infected and protect the rest of the population from infections,” Dlamini-Zuma said.
“We must be careful not to introduce measures that place more averse social and economic impacts than the disease itself,” she warned.
The AU convened the emergency meeting of the foreign ministers to discuss steps required to stop further economic sanctions against countries affected by Ebola, which has so far killed 2,000 people.
The AU said while steps are required to limit the impact of the disease on cross-border trade and food security, efforts are required to halt the spread of the disease.
Dlamini-Zuma said the communities affected by the spread of Ebola are unable to trade and cultivate the fields. This has led to the rising cost of basic food stuff.
“We must put in place measures to enable agriculture to continue and support traders, the majority of whom are women,” the AU chief said.
The Emergency Session of the Executive Council is discussing limiting the impact of measures taken by other countries to stop the spread of Ebola into their territories.
The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Executive Secretary Carlos Lopes warned that the economic impact of Ebola would worsen should the disease spread to more countries around Africa.
The disease is leading to a drop in the amount of economic activity in the affected countries.
“Ebola can only be tackled through massive investment to address on an urgent basis the contributing factors to the outbreak,” Lopes said.
“The affected countries are over-stretched and they need the whole of Africa to put a stop to misinformation and call for substantial funding of the outbreak control measures,” Lopes said.
African Development Bank (AfDB) Vice President Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said the Bank has signed a US$60 million financing agreement with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to avail the funds for the purchase of the drugs required to deal with the Ebola. The funds would also be spent on improving healthcare facilities in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea.
The Bank is also set to avail US$150 million to the affected countries in the form of budget support. The funds would be used to finance medical requirements in hospitals in West Africa.
Photo: WHO
