We will stop Ebola - UNMEER

Mr Anthony Banbury, Head of United Nation Mission on Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) on Tuesday said the Mission would help stop the Ebola viral disease, especially in the affected countries.

Speaking at a news conference in Accra, Mr Banbury said the Mission which has its headquarters in Accra is set to start working after getting the approval of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.

He said the spread of the Ebola disease is very grievous and therefore needs an urgent and robust international effort.

“It has become a multi-dimensional crisis affecting social life, humanitarian, economic and a threat to national security,” he said.

He said no single state or organisation could fight Ebola and it is important the world unite to fight it.

Mr Banbury commended President John Dramani Mahama for paving the way for Ghana to be the headquarters of the UNMEER, with a mandate to control the ongoing outbreak and stop its spread.

He said the Mission’s headquarters would mostly comprise policy and logistic experts, who would be working in affected countries to help combat the disease.

He said Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea would be supported with resources such as helicopters, vehicles and motorbikes to control the situation.

He said UNMEER would also be working closely with community leaders, heads of the various religious groups, non-governmental organisations and civil society groups as part of the effort to completely stop the spread of the disease.

He said the Mission would help ensure that Ghana is not affected with the disease and would follow all the available national guidelines to prevent it from entering the country.

“We will also keep our personnel healthy by making sure they follow stringent and rigid protocols on precaution and there will be zero tolerance for waiver on standards,” he said.

Ms Susan Ngongi, Acting Head of UN Resident Coordinator, said the UN Mission in Ghana would provide the necessary support to UNMEER in order to be able to achieve its target.