THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2014

News of the Japanese Government’s donation to Liberia and Sierra Leon, President Johnson Sirleaf’s rally for global partnership in the fight against the Ebola virus disease and the election of Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister Amara Konneh as Chairman of the IMF African Group One Constituency are among stories dominating our summary of today selected local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

Japan Aids Liberia, Sierra Leone's Ebola Fight With Ambulances, Medical Equipment

The FrontPage Africa newspaper reports that the Government of Japan has donated 11 ambulances and several medical equipment worth over eight hundred thousand United States dollars (US$800,000) to Liberia and Sierra Leone respectively to help the two West African nations fight the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The daily quotes a Foreign Ministry release as saying that Liberia will get four hundred thousand, one hundred and fifty-Nine United States Dollars (US$400,159.00) while Sierra Leone will get three hundred ninety- seven thousand, seven Hundred forty-nine United States dollars (US$397,749.00) out of the total amount. The signing ceremony took place on Thursday, October 9, 2014 at the Embassy of Japan in Accra, Ghana with His Excellency, Mr. Kaoru Yoshimura, Ambassador of Japan in Ghana representing his country while Honorable Musu Jatu Ruhle, Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Liberia in Ghana and Honorable Nasratha Bakie Remoe-Doherty, Charge d’ Affaires of the High Commission of Sierra Leone in Ghana represented their respective countries.  According to the grant agreement, Liberia will receive seven ambulances and 48 beds, while Sierra Leone will receive six ambulances and 47 beds. The Japanese Envoy disclosed that his Government will assist the two governments with the procurement and maintenance of the donated items.

Related Captions: Japan Aids Liberia, Sierra Leone’s Ebola Fight…With Ambulances, Medical Equipment(The News) Japan Gives Liberia, Sierra Leone Ambulances, Medical Equipment for Ebola Fight(Heritage), Japan Donates to Liberia, Sierra Leone(The New Dawn), Japan Aids Liberia, Sierra Leon's Ebola Fights(In Profile Daily)

Pres. Sirleaf Rallies Global Partners

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says with improved knowledge and capacity occasioned by support from partners, Liberia is confident that the Ebola epidemic would soon be contained.

The Liberian leader was speaking Thursday, October 9, 2014 at the High-level Event on the Impact of Ebola Crisis. With this understanding and pledged capacity expansion, she said, the Liberian government was looking up to partnership support for its 3-point anti-Ebola and recovery strategies. “First, we must contain the disease in a more timely and decisive response,” the president said. “This means the construction of treatment and testing and burying centers with a time frame of one month - by mid-November all such facilities functioning with staffed health workers, both local and expatriate.  We need more resources for establishment of community care centers with ownership and participation by communities themselves”. President Sirleaf said counting on partnership support the government was considering improving and strengthening the regular health care system. This is, because according to her, many of the deaths recorded resulted from regular deaths of those who had no access to closed or non-functional health facilities. The Analyst quotes a press release from the Executive Mansion as saying that the three Mano River Union leaders spoke Thursday, October 9, when they joined world leaders at a World Bank - International Monetary Fund High-Level Meeting on the impact of the Ebola crisis held in Washington D.C., United States of America. Presidents Sirleaf and Koroma participated in the meeting via video conference.

Related Captions: Ellen Speaks on Impact of Ebola Crisis(The New Dawn). Pres. Sirleaf Partakes High-Level Meeting(FOCUS), Ellen Speaks On Impact Of Ebola Crisis(The New Dawn), Pres. Sirleaf Highlights Ebola Plight(The New Republic)

Minister Konneh Heads IMF African Constituency

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) African Group One has elected Liberia's Finance and Development Planning Minister Amara Konneh, as the new Chairman of the 24-member grouping for the next two years. Minister Konneh succeeds Malawi's Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe. The IMF African Group One Constituency gives African Countries the opportunity to voice their issues to a panel that helps in determining the international policy objectives for a group of nations, reports the New Democrat newspaper, quoting a FinanceMinistry statement.

Related Captions: Min. Konneh Heads IMF African Constituency(The Analyst), Konneh Heads IMF African Constituency(The News), Konneh Heads African Constituency(INSIGHT), Konneh Gets IMF Top Post(The New Dawn), Amara Konneh Chairs IMF African Group(The Inquirer),

41 UN Workers Quarantined

According New Democrat, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has quarantined 41 staff members, including 20 military personnel, under "close medical observation" after an international member of its medical team was diagnosed with Ebola this week, the second mission member to test positive for the deadly disease. "This measure is precautionary and meant to ensure no possible further transmission of the disease", the mission said in a statement Friday. None of the personnel who are contacts have shown any symptoms but will be observed for the full 21-day possible incubation period.

Related Captions: 41 UN Staffers Under Ebola Observer(The News), 41 UNMIL Staff Observed For Ebola(FOCUS), 41 UN Staffers Under Ebola Observation(FrontPage Africa)

Texas Nurse Tests Positive For Ebola

The Newsnewspaper writes that days following the death of Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who died Wednesday after he was diagnosed of Ebola in Dallas, Texas, there are reports that a female nurse in the United States has been tested positive of Ebola. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas confirmed that the nurse was tested positive for Ebola Saturday following a preliminary test.

Related Captions: Dallas Nurse Tested Positive to Ebola Virus Disease (Daily Observer), Health Care Worker Tests Positive At Texas Hospital(Heritage), Health Care Worker Tests Positive At Texas Hospital(In Profile Daily), HealthCare Worker Tests Positive At Taxes Hospital (FOCUS), Health Worker Tested Ebola Positive in U.S.(The New Dawn)

VP Boakai Receives Overwhelming Applauds

The office of the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia over the week-end received overwhelming support in appreciation to his kind gesture in at least landing arms of assistance to several communities and Ebola Centers in and out of Monrovia.  The donation exercises which took place around Monrovia benefited several Ebola Centers including ELWA. Making the presentation on behalf of VP Boakai, the Chairman for Special Project in the office of VP Boakai, Peter Stephens told the recipients that the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia pitied their condition especially during this time of health crisis, the Inquirer report

Related Captions:VP Boakai Donates Food, Non-Food Items To Hospitals, Mosque, Communities(Heritage), VP Boakai Distributes Food To Communities(The New Republic)

OTHER STORIES

Ultra-Fast Ebola-Test Equipment Soon - Woods' Negotiation Bears Fruit

The Philips Corporation, an electronics manufacturing giant says it will soon roll out improved diagnosis equipment for the quick detection of Ebola. Mr. Ties Kroezen, Venture Manager of Philips Africa's Incubator, made the disclosure during a meeting with Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods, II, Liberia's Leading Human Rights Lawyer, in the Netherlands. According to Mr. Ties Kroezen the new testing equipment which will take seconds to diagnose Ebola, will be rolled in out after approval by the WHO. "It is expected that when this machine comes into use, it will take a shorter time to diagnose cases of Ebola, Kroezen told Attorney Woods, the Analyst writes.

WFP Feeds 405,000 Liberians by February 2015 - Deputy Country Director

As part of its intervention to curb the spread of the Ebola virus and in solidarity with the Government of Liberia, the World Food Program (WFP) has said it will provide food to vulnerable communities throughout the country in 2015. WFP’s Deputy Country Director Alghassim Wurie said his organization’s assistance is predicated upon the Liberian Government's request to provide food to vulnerable communities including the physically challenged and orphanages across the country, pens the New Republic Newspaper.

Related Caption:WFP To Feed 405,000 In Liberia - Says Country Deputy Director(In Profile Daily)

CH Rennie Hospital Is Not Reopened To Treat Ebola Patients

Margibi County Health Officer, Dr. Aldophus Yeiah, has clarified that the CH Rennie hospital is not reopened to treat Ebola patients, speaking at the Kakata Administrative Building on Friday, October 10, 2014 at a program organized by the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives (LMDI), Dr. Yeiah said the CH Rennie Hospital is only reopened to treat ordinary illness as well as pregnant women and not Ebola cases, reports the Heritage newspaper.