The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday, held an Ebola awareness and sensitization meeting aimed at preventing the spread of the deadly Ebola virus among employees and members of the general public.

A joint team from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) led by Assistant Health Minister for Preventive Service, Tolbert Nyansua attended the meeting based upon the invitation of the Ministry.

Authorities of the Ministry have therefore taken thorough sanitary measures that will help prevent the spread of the virus.

As part of the preventive measures, the Ministry has warned that effective July 28, 2014, all staff and the general public should avoid bodily contact, shaking of hands, hugging and kissing of cheeks while interacting with staffers of the Ministry and members of the general public. Also as part of the new measures, every person is advised to do hand-washing before entering or leaving the building as well as after using the latrine/bathroom.

During the well-attended meeting held at the C. Cecil Dennis Auditorium, Foreign Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan announced that the rules will be applied to everyone with no exception, to keep and prevent the employees and the public safe from the Ebola disease.

“We are about to enforce no shaking hands rules, no hugging, no kissing of cheeks, while interacting with anyone in the Ministry.  From today onward, we will not shake hands, no bodily contact, not only in the Passport Bureau, but the entire Ministry of Foreign Affairs; our security will be enforcing these rules” ,  Minister Ngafuan warned his staff.

The Minister further advised employees to take the necessary precautionary measures to avoid coming in contact with the deadly disease so as to remain healthy at all times.  He at the same time urged employees to come to work and report any Ebola suspected cases in their communities and at their job site.

The Health Ministry team spoke about the effects and dangers of Ebola, methods of prevention and how to stop the spread of the deadly virus in Liberia. 

At the close of the meeting, Minister Ngafuan thanked Minister Nyansua and members of both the Health Ministry and UNICEF families for honoring the   Ministry’s request come to attend the gathering with the view to create awareness, sensitize and educate the work-force on the danger of Ebola.

The Ebola awareness and sensitization meeting was also attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Sylvester Grigsby and other senior members of the Foreign Ministry, amongst others.

Since the outbreak of the virus in Liberia in March of this year, over 129 Liberians have died while 249 confirmed cases have been reported.