THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

The United States Agency for International Development’s additional US five million dollars funding to the fight against the Ebola Disease in West Africa, the National Oil Company of Liberia Presentation of a consignment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare to help in the fight against the Ebola epidemic,  President Johnson Sirleaf’s one month extension of the stay-home order and the Government’s lifting of quarantine on the township of West Point are stories highlighted in our summary of today.

DOMINANT STORIES

USAID Gives $5m More To West Africa Ebola Response

According the Insight Newspaper, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced that it is providing an additional US$5 million to help combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The latest amount brings USAID’s commitment towards the Ebola response to nearly US$19.6 million since the outbreak was first reported in March 2014. Jeremy Konyndyk, Director of the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, announced the additional funding Wednesday at a press conference held at the Ministry of Information. The press conference marked the climax of the three -day visit of Konydyk and Dr. Tom Frieden, Director of the US. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to Liberia.  

Related Caption:  USAID Gives $5m To Ebola Response(FOCUS)

Liberia Extends Stay-Home Orders For Non-Essential Staff

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has extended, by the another month beginning Monday, September 1, 2014, the stay-home order imposed on all non-essential government employees who have been away since August 1st.  According to an Executive Mansion release, this measure remains necessary to decongest government work places as efforts continue to contain the spread of the Ebola virus disease which is having devastating consequences on the country. The Liberian leader has assured government employees affected by the stay-home orders that they will continue to receive their salaries during the period of their absence from work. On Wednesday, July 30, President Sirleaf, in a Special Statement to the Nation on additional measures in the fight against the Ebola virus disease, announced that all non-essential staff begin a 30-day compulsory leave; noting the strategy was to contain the spread, care for the afflicted with the goal of “No New Cases.” In another development, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, on Friday, August 29, held talks with officials of the Alliance for Peace and Democracy (APD) at her Foreign Ministry office in Monrovia. The APD requested the meeting to discuss how they could be of help in the national fight against the spread of the deadly Ebola virus disease, pens the FrontPage Africa Newspaper.

Related Captions: Gov’t Extends Stay-Home Orders(Daily Observer), Government Extends Stay-Home Order for Non-Essential Staff(New Dawn), Stay-Home Orders Extended(Analyst), Gov’t Extends Stay-Home Order(INSIGHT), Stay Home Order Extended(New Democrat), Stay Home-Gov’t Extends Order(In Profile Daily)

West Point Quarantine Lifted

The Liberian Government has lifted a Quarantine restriction imposed on the slum community of West Point, nearly two weeks after it ordered the community quarantined from the city center. According to the News newspaper, residents of West Point marched through the street from their community to the city center on Saturday, celebrating the removal of blockade in their area.

Related Captions: West Point Celebrates(New Democrat), Jubilation Over Lifting of Quarantine…West Pointers Praise Rep. Joseph, Others; SCOL Lauds Gov’t For Reopening West Point(The Inquirer), West Point Quarantine Lifted(The News), Gov’t Lifts Quarantine on West Point(FOCUS)

NOCAL Boosts Fight Against Ebola

According to the Analyst Newspaper, the National Oil Company of Liberia has presented a consignment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare to help the Ministry in its fight against the Ebola epidemic. The President and CEO of the company, Dr. Randolph A. K. W. McClain who made the presentation on Friday, August 29, at NOCAL's head office in Monrovia, said the donation was in response to a request from the Ministry. The NOCAL President hoped the materials presented would be used to protect health workers and others who may be involved in the effort to contain the virus. Receiving the items, the Deputy Minister of Health for Administration, Mr. Matthew Flomo, expressed delight and thanked the NOCAL Board, Management and staff for the contribution to the fight against Ebola.

Related Caption:NOCAL Donates 200 PPEs to MOH(New Dawn Newspaper), NOCAL Donates PPEs To Health Ministry(Insight Newspaper), NOCAL Responds Presents PPEs To Health Ministry (Heritage Newspaper)

OTHER STORIES

WFP Supplies Quarantined

The Bong County Ebola Response Taskforce with support from the World Food Program (WFP) is continuing the distribution of food to over four thousand residents of hard-hit Ebola communities in Bong County. The communities include Civil Compound, Millionaire Quarter and Brooklyn in Gbarnga. Others are Balaketehla and Camp Five in Salala and Sanoyea Districts. The materials include rice, cooking oil and beans among others, reports the Analyst Newspaper.

Liberians in S/Sudan Donate to Health Ministry

The Daily Observer writes that the Liberian Community in South Sudan has joined the global fight against the Ebola virus disease in Liberia donating assorted items including medical, food and non-food items. The items value over US$5,000, were donated to Health Ministry Officials on Thursday, August 28 at the Ministry’s Congo Town in Paynesville. Making the donation on behalf of the Liberian Community in South Sudan, Mrs. Grace K. Tomeh said the items were part of the Liberian Community’s own way of helping to fight the Ebola Virus Disease ( EVD) in the country.

China Approves First Ebola Drug

The Newsnewspaper reports that China has cleared its first drug for the treatment of Ebola to be used by its army. The drug named ‘JK-05’ was developed by Academy of Military Medical Sciences. According to the daily, the researcher spent the last five years studying Ebola’s prevention and treatment and the drug has shown anti-Ebola activity during cell experiments and testing. It also recently completed pre-clinical testing as well as a clinical- safety evaluation.

VP Boakai Tours Lofa To Access Ebola Situation

The Vice President of Liberia, Joseph N. Boakai has toured Lofa County to access prevailing Ebola situation in the county. The Microscope reports that during the VP stay in the county, he visited Barkedu Town in the Quardu Gbooni District. According to the paper, during VP Boakai’s visit, he donated LD 30,000 and USD330 to the burial team in Barkedu Town.

Joining Ebola Fight: COPTA, Donates Items To ELWA Hospital

FrontPage Africa Newspaper reports that the Citizens Organized for Transparency and Accountability (COPTA), working to ensure a better Liberia in which leaders can be held accountable to their people in the discharge of their service to the public, has donated several items worth about US$ 5,000 to the administration of the Eternal Love Winning Africa (ELWA) Ebola isolation unit 2 on the Roberts field highway.The organization’s donation was done in partnership with several Liberians working with the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Smile Liberia, an International, non-governmental organization founded by a group of Liberians in the United Sates to provide educational assistance and bring smiles to children living in Liberia’s poorest communities. The donation included rice, sacs of mineral water, comforters, towels, disinfectants, Lucozade, water and Clorox, sugar amongst others. Presenting the items Friday at the ELWA Unit two isolation center, the Project Coordinator of Smile Liberia‘s “send them to school” project Christine Brooks-Jarrett disclosed that the donation was part of efforts in helping the GOL to battle the deadly Ebola virus.