THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2014

News of Traditional Chiefs and Elders of Liberia's pledge to join government in the fight against the deadly Ebola Virus disease, the installation of an Ebola testing equipment at the Island Clinic and Bong County ETUs and Bomi Hospital's discharge of eleven Ebola survivors are among stories dominating our summary of today's local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

Traditional Chiefs, Elders Commit To Ebola Fight

Traditional Chiefs and Elders of Liberia have agreed to join government ang its partners in the fight against the deadly Ebola Virus disease. The Traditional Chiefs said their renewed commitment is to continue their march towards the full eradication of the Ebola Virus and the restoration of basic health services in Liberia. A release from the Internal Affairs Ministry said the statement was contained in a resolution reached over the weekend, at the end of the weeklong traditional chiefs’ consultative meeting on prevention of the Ebola Virus which took place in Gbarnga, Bong County, the Inquirer writes.

Related Captions: Traditional Chiefs Join Ebola Fight(In Profile Daily), Traditional Leaders 'Renew Commitment' to Ebola Fight(Daily Observer), Traditional CHiefs, Elders Commit to Ebola Fight ( The Inquirer)

Stop The Deaths - Liberian Women Cry To God

Liberian Christian and Muslim female religious leaders on Friday, October 3rd assembled at the Ministry of Gender and Development in Monrovia to intercede to God on behalf of the nation as the deadly Ebola virus continues to take a toll here. In the presence of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the women offered prayers for the nation; the President; the three branches of government; health care workers and the national security, asking for God’s divine intervention in eradicating Ebola out of the country. During the intercession, various prayer points were offered just as was done by the Church earlier in August after the Ebola crisis intensified across the country. The women asked God to heal the land, their children and husbands as well as purge Liberia of the ongoing untimely deaths. President Sirleaf in a very brief remark said, “We have to kneel, bow, pray and ask God’s blessings upon us” while appreciating the mothers and fathers of Liberia for their efforts in seeking God’s healing on behalf of the Nation, especially during this crisis period, writes the New Dawn newspaper. 

Related  Caption: Ellen Turns to God - to Intervene in Her Country's Health Crisis(The New Republic), President Sirleaf Wants God's Intervention in Ebola Crisis( The Inquirer)

11 Survive Ebola in Bomi County

The New Dawn  newspaper writes that at least 11 persons earlier tested positive of the Ebola virus in Bomi County have been treated discharged from the treatment unit in the county. Speaking over the weekend in Tubmanburg, Bomi County at the Reunification and Certification program for the 11 survivors, County Health Officer, Dr. G. Gorbee Logan, said at the initial stage of the outbreak, Bomi was not a response county. He said the county fell into the response category after an affected person relocated from Lofa to Tubmanburg early this year, carrying the virus.

Related Captions: 11 Free of Ebola in Bomi (FOCUS), Bomi County Discharges Eleven Ebola Patients (The Analyst)

 Mobile Testing Labs Up and Running - Island Clinic Benefit

The Analystnewspaper reports that U.S. Navy Mobile Ebola Laboratory equipment has been installed at the Island Clinic ETU. The lab is capable of processing about 80 simples a day. The U.S. Navy laboratories, part of the ongoing Joint Forces Command-United Assistance, reduce the time needed to determine if a sick person has Ebola from several days to just a few hours, and are capable of processing about 80 samples a day. Members of a U.S. Navy Medical Research Unit will operate both laboratories. "Having a laboratory on site will dramatically improve our ability to provide appropriate care to all of our patients," Dr. Pranav Shetty, Emergency Medical Coordinator for International Medical Corps (IMC), said. "The sooner we can confirm patients who are positive (for Ebola), the sooner they can receive specialized care".

Related  Captions: Liberia: U.S. Donates Testing Labs for Bong, Island Clinic(The New Dawn), Mobile Testing Labs Up and Running at Island Clinic and Bong County ETUs(INSIGHT), Traditional Ebola Testing Labs Setup(The News)

Muslims Dedicate First Shia Mosque, School In Liberia

The Shia Muslim community in Liberia over the weekend dedicated a mosque and school building in the Brewerville community of Jah Tondo outside Monrovia. The school named Ahlul-Bayte (AS) Mosque and School or “Family of the Holy Prophet Mohammed Mosque and School”—is dedicated to unity among all faiths, as well as Liberians in general. The mosque and school projects were sponsored by a Muslim foundation dedicated to the Shia doctrine, the World Assembly of Ahlul-Bayte in London, led by a British Muslim, Seyeed Mohammed Musawi. An American firm, Comfort Aid International, also contributed immensely to the project. according to the FrontPage Africa, the project cost more than US$400,000.

Related Captions: Mosque, School Dedicated...In Jah Tondo Town(The News), Muslims Dedicate Mosque, School in Brewerville(Daily Observer)

OTHER STORIES

UN Ebola Mission Boss Arrives

The New Dawnnewspaper reports that the head of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) in Liberia, Mr. Anthony Banbury, has arrived here to help combat the deadly Ebola virus. Mr. Banbury arrived here on Wednesday, October 1, 2014, and held meetings with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and top government officials. Speaking in a press briefing Thursday at the James Spriggs Field in Sinkor, Monrovia, Mr. Banbury said his team has come to Liberia in support of the Government’s effort in kicking Ebola out of the country. He said UNMEER will work very closely with the Government of Liberia and parents around the world to kick Ebola out of Africa. Mr. Banbury said the Mission will embark on community outreach programs to teach the public about preventive tips, including health workers to avoid getting infected on the job. 

Related Caption: UNMEER Commits to Ebola Fight(The News)

Pres. Sirleaf Attends YAI Coalition Against Ebola Launch

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says attitude and behavioural change are cardinal to breaking the chain of transmission and ending the further spread of the deadly Ebola virus disease in Liberia.  According to an Executive mansion release, the Liberian Leader made the assertion when she made remarks at the launch of Youth Action International Coalition against Ebola in Monrovia on Thursday, October 2, 2014. The President reminded the young people that attitude, behavior, as well as cultural and traditional values remain major challenges to efforts aimed at eradicating the virus from Liberia, the FOCUS newspaper reports.

Related Caption: Pres. Sirleaf Stresses Need For Behavioral Change-Attends YAI Coalition Against Ebola Launch(INSIGHT)

Amara Konneh Leads Delegation to Washington, DC

A small Liberia delegation headed by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Amara M. Konneh, will present the country's case for more financial resources to continue the fight against the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, as well as finance Liberia's Economic Stabilization and Recovery Plan at the upcoming Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which convene in Washington DC from October 10-12, 2014. The New Dawn quotes a Finance Ministry statement as saying that Minister Konneh will be accompanied by Dr. Mounir Siaplay, Deputy Minister for Economic Management; Mr. Bernard Jappah, Public Financial Management Reforms Coordinator; and Sidiki Trawally, Director of Media Services. Minister Konneh and team will be joined by the Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, Dr. J. Mill Jones and Deputy Governor Boima Kamara, as he tells the Liberian story with the objective of securing needed resources to address the current Ebola crisis, fund the Government's fiscal deficit (including extra spending pressures in the wake of anticipated budget shortfall as well as funding supports for the post-Ebola recovery efforts) and induce macro-economic stability.

 CRS Commits To Liberian Ebola Fight

According to the Analyst newspaper, the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has committed itself to joining both local and international efforts aimed at flushing out the deadly Ebola virus that has killed more than nearly two thousand persons in Liberia alone. The Global Humanitarian Response Director of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Jennifer Poidatz concluded a weeklong visit and assured local partners of CRS that despite the fact there exist many global emergencies in Iraq, Syria, The Central African Republic and other troubled spots of the world, Liberia is “really a critical emergency for CRS and we will do all we can to support it”. Ms. Poidatz made these remarks after inspecting a local CRS project on Ebola prevention through community outreach, implemented by the Liberia Immunization Platform (LIP), which is a pro-child survival and immunization policy advocacy consortium in Liberia.

Related Caption: CRS Commits To Liberia Ebola Fight(Heritage)

NEC Reaffirms Election Postponement

The National Elections Commission (NEC) says consistent with reasons provided in its recommendation for the postponement of the October 14, 2014 Special Senatorial Election, it could not publish the list of polling centers last Saturday. Section 4.2 of the New Elections Law of Liberia mandates the Commission to publish the list of all polling centers in the country ten days prior to the conduct of any election. In its recommendation to political authorities on the postponement of the election, the Commission stated that given the grave nature of the Ebola outbreak in the country and the effect that such disease could have on the conduct of the Special Senatorial Election, coupled with measures instituted by the government, a free, fair, and credible Special Senatorial Election on October 14, 2014 could not be possible. Among reasons provided by the Commission included the inability of the Commission to assess the 4,701 polling centers across the country to authenticate their readiness for the October 14, 2014 Special Senatorial Election. Other reasons provided by the Elections Commission were its inability to recruit, train and deploy 365 civic civic/voters educators in the 73 electoral districts spread across the 15 counties of Liberia, as well as 400 electoral supervisors for the purpose of educating the electorates on the location and number of polling places in the country and the inability of the NEC to recruit, train and deploy more than 25,000 temporary polling staff in the 4,701 polling centers across the country; the inability of its IT staff to go around the country to rehabilitate and connect internet facilities for the transmission of elections results and other elections related information; and its inability to internationally procure ballot paper printing services for the printing of 2,640,000 ballot papers, 78,750 mock ballots and 5,000 polling kits- all of which have to be flown into the country, writes the New Dawn. 

 75 Persons Quarantined in Gbarpolu

According to the INSIGHT newspaper, seventy-five persons have been quarantined in several parts of Gbarpulo County, the County Health Officer and Co-Chairman of the Ebola Task Force, Dr. Anthony Tucker has disclosed. he said those under quarantine are being fed and provided safe drinking water to ensure they don't leave their quarantine centers and move into communities.

U. S. Troops, AFL, Commence ETU Construction

The United States troops has already began its mandate of constructing Ebola Treatment units (ETUs) across the country with the support from the Armed Forces of Liberia who has rolled out its Military support in the fight against the Ebola Virus  as of September 30, 2014. Witnessing the preparation of the first in a series of nine ETUs to be constructed, the AFL Chief of Staff, Daniel Ziankahn said it is a joint operation with the U.S. Military and the AFL  and it commences the construction of many ETUs that will be constructed. Brigadier General Ziankahn said the project will take between five to 12 weeks and will take from 80 -100 beds noting that a group of AFL Engineers were already in Grand Bassa County to carry out survey, the Inquirer reports.

Nigeria to train Health workers in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone

A back page story of the New Democrat newspaper reads that Nigeria will train 15 health workers from three west African countries worst hit by the Ebola Virus Disease, Health Minister said Thursday. Mr. Chukwu spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria about the new plan while reacting to a recent request by the UN and and the WHO, to offer the training as as part of efforts to combat the disease.