Daily Media Summary, 12-02-2014
THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Monrovia, Liberia.
NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014
United States Assistant Secretary for African Affairs’ assessment visit to Liberia, the World Bank Group President’s visit to Liberia aimed at strengthening the Bank's response to the Ebola Virus Disease and President Johnson Sirleaf congratulatory message to the Republic of Romania on its 67th National Day are stories dominating today’s local dailies.
DOMINANT STORIES
U.S. Asst. Sec. Of State Paying Assessment Visit To Liberia
United States Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield at the head of a 10- member delegation arrives in Liberia Tuesday night, December 2, 2014 for a three -day visit to assess the current state of Liberia’s fight against the Ebola Virus Disease, specifically US support to the fight. She is being accompanied by U.S. Assistant Secretary for Defense Michael Lumpkin. While in Liberia, the US Assistant Secretary, Ambassador Greenfield and the delegation will on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 meet with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and other high level government officials. The FrontPage Africa newspaper quotes a Foreign Ministry release as saying that the delegation that is on an assessment visit to Liberia will fly to Bong County to visit the US funded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Laboratory and safe burial site as well as the Bong County Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU). Ambassador Greenfield and delegation will also observe an Ebola survivors’ seminar for healthcare workers at the National Police Training Academy. The former U.S. Ambassador to Liberia will also hold meetings with officials of the United Nations Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), United Nations Missions in Liberia, World Health Organization, World Food Program and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia Brigadier General Daniel Ziankhan among others.
Related Captions: Linda Thomas Greenfield Pays Assessment Visit To Liberia(In Profile Daily), Top US Official On Assessment Visit(FOCUS), US Officials Due In Liberia(The New Republic), Top U.S. Official Begins Three-Day Assessment Visit Here Today(Heritage), US Assistance Secretary of State For African Affairs Pays three Days Assessment Visit(The Inquirer), US Asst. Secretary of States for African Affairs visits Liberia(INSIGHT)
World Bank Prez Arrives In Liberia Today Reassures Commitment to Ebola Response
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim is expected to arrive in Liberia today to further strengthen the Bank's continuing response to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). According to the Daily Observer, Dr. Kim will meet President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and senior officials of the Liberian Government. He will be expected to reassure the government and people of Liberia of the Bank's commitment to assist Liberia to achieve zero Ebola virus transmission. Dr. Kim, who is also a public health expert, will visit the Ebola Emergency Operation Center (EOC) in Monrovia and meet with the Incident Management System representatives, donor partners involved in the Ebola response, health workers, EVD survivors, contact tracers and burial team members. He will also hold a press conference today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Related Captions: Liberia Receives World Bank Chief(The New Republic), World Bank Group President Jim Kim Arrives In Liberia Tuesday(FrontPage Africa),World Bank Group President Arrives (The New Dawn), World Bank President Expected In Liberia(FOCUS)
Ellen Congratulates Romania On 67th National Day
The In Profile Daily quotes a Foreign Ministry release as saying President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a message of congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of Romania as that country celebrates its 67th National Day. President Sirleaf noted in her letter to her Romanian counterpart, His Excellency Traian Basescu, that the day which reflects the unification of Transylvania into 'Greater Romania, as well as Bessarabia and Bokovina, gives her pleasure to the government and courageous people of Romania sincere greetings on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia. The Liberian Leader said she trusts in the sincerity which so happily characterizes the relationship between Liberia and Romania and further anticipates that it may be translated into areas of mutual economic and technical benefits for both countries. "As we strive for the advancement of peace, security and universal freedom for all through the United Nations, I wish for Your Excellency, good health and a prosperous future and for the Government and people of the Republic of Romania lasting peace, unity and prosperity", President Sirleaf added.
Related Captions: President Sirleaf Congratulates Romania(FOCUS), Ellen Congratulates Romania On 67th National Day(Heritage)
OTHER STORIES
China Replaces Departed Peacekeepers
290 Chinese soldiers last Friday departed Beijing, China for Liberia to replace the departed 558 troops whose eight-month peacekeeping duties ended in Liberia. the departed soldiers formed part of Chinese peacekeepers in Liberia. According to the Chinese media, the 17th batch consists of a 240 member transport battalion, 275 member engineering battalion and a 43 member medical team. all the soldiers were from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Beijing Military Area Command, reports the New Republic newspaper.
711 HIV- Positive Gays In Liberia
According to the Inquirer newspaper, Liberia is reporting alarming estimation of 711 HIV infected men who have had sex with other men (homosexuals) while about 33 of those men are legally married amidst the gains made in reducing HIV and AIDS in the country. Among the three key population groups targeted in the estimation study released three years ago which include female sex workers estimated at 1,882 and injecting drug users are 457 age 15 - 19, the report states that of the number of gays infected in Liberia, 4.7% were legally married men making a total of HIV prevalence in gays to stand at 19.8% female sex workers are 9% and among injected drug users and uniform services personnel are at 5%.
Liberia, Guinea Meeting Ebola Targets
The News newspaper reports that Liberia and Guinea have met at a December 1 target for isolating 70% of people infected with Ebola and safely burying 70% of those who have been reported dead, the World Health Organization said Monday. Last week, the UN health agency said only Guineas was on track to meet the targets for getting the deadly Ebola outbreak under control in the three hardest-hit West African Countries.
ECOWAS Rates Ebola Eradication To Priority
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it is employing a three-pronged strategy of prevention, containment and eventual elimination in its response to the Ebola outbreak in the region. The Ebola virus has claimed 5,444 lives in three Member States of the Community, namely Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadre Desire Ouedrago, made the statement in a speech at the opening of a five-day training workshop for 150 volunteer health officers from seven of the region's 15 Member States. He said the three strategies were designed to respond to the various dimensions of the outbreak and urged the officers to see themselves as soldiers in this regional fight against the disease. An ECOWAS release issued in Monrovia said the officers who are from Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal, are being trained ahead of their deployment to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to reinforce ongoing national, regional and international efforts to deal with the outbreak in those countries. The President acknowledged the "remarkable solidarity demonstrated by ECOWAS Member States" since the outbreak in March 2014 and paid tribute to the memories of thousands of those that have fallen victims, including local and foreign health workers who paid the ultimate price in helping the region confront the epidemic. Speaking at the forum taking place in Accra, Ghana's Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, whose country currently chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, highlighted the grim statistics associated with the outbreak which has affected some 14,000 persons with Liberia alone accounting for more than 2,800 of the fatalities, reports West Africa INFO Post newspaper.
VP Boakai Challenges Youth Group
Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has called on members of Liberian Artists Together for Advancement (LAT) to be in the position to serve their country at all times. Speaking over the weekend at program making the 16 days of activism to end violence against women, in the conference room of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection on UN Drive in Central Monrovia, the Vice President stated that it is always good for young people to make themselves available to work for their country. According to him, the youth have a vital role to play in Liberia’s development drive. He appealed to his male counterparts throughout the country to stop violence against women, writes the FOCUSnewspaper.
CARI To Get Autonomous Status
The INSIGHT newspaper reports that the Plenary of the House of Representatives has mandated three relevant committees to examine a bill seeking to transform the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) as an autonomous agency. The mandate by the Lawmakers was reached recently following the submission of a proposed law by chairperson of the House Committee on Agriculture, Montserrado County District #1 Representative Josephine George Francis. The bill, which is entitled “An Act to Establish the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), Republic of Liberia as an Autonomous Agency” is aimed at improving productivity, economic development and food security among others. In her communication, Hon. Francis said the passage of the new law would allow CARI to conduct scientific research and broad based research on food and cash corps, livestock, fish and water management.
CDC Points Out Risky Factors In Ebola Fight-Warns Liberians To Be Careful During Campaign And Chrismas Euphoria
Dr. Kelvin De Cock, an Epidemiologist from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) working in Liberia, has red flagged two risk factors that could invert the gains made in the Ebola fight. He said complacency and the acceptance of the Ebola situation are “new normal” factors that could pose serious danger to the progress made so far. He said about a year ago Ebola would have been unimaginable to think about and completely unacceptable. Dr. De Cock cautioned that Liberians should guard against accepting the situation as a new normal, writes the INSIGHT newspaper.
Related Caption: Two Dangers Hang Over Liberia—CDC’s De-Cock Reveals(The New Republic)
4 Prisons Get Anti-Ebola Materials
In a collective effort to reach zero-infection-cases of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the Child Justice Section of the Ministry of Justice in partnership with UNICEF-Liberia has formally launched a Prison Ebola Response project and donated several anti-Ebola materials to four prisons across the country. Some of the anti-Ebola items include hand-washing drums, chloride, powder soap, soaps, and disinfection hand washers. Others are non-anti-Ebola materials, commonly known as recreational materials, to be used during their leisure hours, such as checkers and ludos. According to the Child Justice Section’s Acting Coordinator, Alben Greaves, as part of the project implementation, donations of Ebola Prevention and recreational materials were made to the Monrovia Central, Bassa Prison, Margibi Prison, and Bong Prison. According to theINSIGHT newspaper, the Child Justice Section will also make donations to prison in Lofa and Nimba counties. Mr. Greaves said. The value for the donations to the six counties is US$14,550.
Related Caption: 4 Prisons Get Anti-Ebola Supplies(Daily Observer)
UNFPA Dedicates US$45,000 One-Stop Center
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has dedicated a Sexual Gender Base Violence or SGBV center worth US$45,000 in Margibi County and handed it over to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. UNFPA Officer-In-Charge Dr. Remi Sogunro said the occasion was not just an ordinary handing over ceremony, but important because “it is for those who are venerable and every one of us will tell our story one day about their loved ones and relatives”. He pointed out that building, constructed by UNFPA was not for one agenda, describing it as the house of combination, adding, “It is one of the reasons it’s called the one-stop center”. Receiving the keys to the one-stop center, Mr. Raymond R. Cassell extended thanks and appreciation to United Nations Population Fund for its effort in making sure that the people of Margibi County get the Sexual Gender Based Violence or SGBV center known as a “one-stop center”, reports the New Dawn newspaper.
