THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

News of the United States and Norwegian Governments' additional funding towards ongoing fight against the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia, the Millennium Challenge Corporation pledge to assist government in supporting a post-Ebola Economic Stabilization and Recovery Planand President Johnson Sirleaf's proclamation declaring Wednesday, October 15, World Sight and White Cane Safety Day are among stories  dominating our summary of today's local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

US Gives $65M, Norway, $15MIn Additional Contributions Toward Fight Against Ebola

Daily Observerreports that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has committed an additional US$65M to the ongoing fight against the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia. The virus continues to ravage the Mano River Union (MRU) basin; it has claimed thousands of lives, with Liberia being the worst hit. The USAID money is part of a total of US$142 million additional assistance made available to the worst affected three MRU countries, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, to boost the fight against the killer disease. USAID Administrator, Dr. Rajiv Shah, made the disclosure on Tuesday, October 14, when he addressed a joint press conference along with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Borge Brende, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia. This amount, the USAID Administrator said, is to be committed through technical assistances such as expanding critical training of local health workers, building of more Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs), provision of more logistics and all that will help in containing the virus in the affected countries. He indicated that the US government has now put into place the most significant disease control effort it has ever carried out outside of the US in order to ensure that the virus is contained.

Related Captions: USAID, Norway, Stepping Up Liberia’s Support Against Ebola(FrontPage Africa) Pres. Sirleaf Meets Norwegian Foreign Minister and USAID Boss(The Analyst), US, Norway Step Up Support To W/Africa(The New Dawn), US, Norway To Liberia's Aid(The New Republic), U.S. Announces Additional US$65M Ebola Aid For Liberia(Heritage)

President Sirleaf declares Wednesday as World Sight and White Cane Safety Day

The Analystnewspaper quotes a Foreign Ministry release as saying that the President of the Republic of Liberia, Her Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has by Proclamation declared Wednesday, October 15, 2014 as World Sight and White Cane Safely Day and is to be observed throughout the Republic as a Working Holiday. The Proclamation says the Liberian National Association of the Blind incorporated (LNAB) and the Blind Community as a whole will join their counterparts worldwide in celebrating this year’s World Sight and World White Cane Safety Day. According to the proclamation, the observance will take place under the Theme:”An Accessible And Inclusive Society For All Including the Blind” The proclamation further discloses that since the invention of the White Cane, it has become a significant symbol for blindness which requests courtesy from the Police, Motorists and Pedestrians to give right of way to the blinds   including access to all public transports. The Proclamation indicated that October 15 of each year has been set aside by the World Blind Union (WBU) and the African Union of Bind (AFUB) through United Nations convention held in the United States of America in 1975. The proclamation also asserts that it is the sole responsibility of the Government of Liberia to recognize and protect the fundamental human rights of its citizens including the Blind.

Related Captions: Today is World Sight, White Cane Day(In Profile Daily), Today is World Sight, White Cane Day(Heritage)

MCC Commits To Liberia Post-Ebola Recovery

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has pledged its commitment to assisting the government of Liberia in supporting a post-Ebola Economic Stabilization and Recovery Plan. Speaking in Washington DC over the weekend, Ms. Dana J. Hyde, the MCC’s Executive Director said it was crucial for the government of Liberia to immediately begin engaging with partners. She made the disclosure during a meeting with Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister Amara Konneh and delegation currently attending the World Bank annual meeting in Washington DC. The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an independent, bilateral U.S. Government foreign aid agency established by Congress that is based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces good governance, economic prosperity, applying a set of innovative philosophy to foreign aid administration, write the INSIGHT newspaper.

Related Captions: MCC Commits To Liberia Post-Ebola Recovery(Heritage), MCC Commits To Liberia Post Ebola Recovery(The Analyst)

LACC Boss Represents Liberia at UNCAC Group Session in Vienna

The Executive Chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), Cllr. James N. Verdier, Jr. is in Vienna, Austria, representing Liberia at the Resumed fifth session of the Implementation Review Group of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). The session, which runs from October 13-15, 2014, brings together countries that are states parties to the convention. Making remarks during at the Session, Cllr. Verdier lauded the Session’s Chairman for his election and assured him of Liberia’s support in ensuring the successful conclusion of the deliberations. According to the Analyst, the Resumed fifth session of the Implementation Review Group focuses on the review of the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, performance of the Mechanism for the Review of Implementation of UNCAC, technical assistance as well as financial and budgetary matters.

Related Captions: LACC Chairperson Off To Austria(In Profile Daily), In Vienna, Austria: LACC Boss Represents Liberia At UNCAC Implementation Review Group Session (Heritage), LACC Boss Represents Liberia...At UNCAC Session(The News)

UN Worker Dies Of Ebola

A United Nations Volunteer, who worded in UNMIL Medical, has passed away in a hospital, after testing positive for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) on 6 October. This is the second death in the mission due to Ebola. An earlier probable case resulted in the death of a national staff member on 25 September. A statement from UNMIL says it colleagues are saddened by the tragic news as they continue to serve at this very difficult time. “Our thoughts now are with the family and friends of the departed”, the statement said, New Democrat writes.

Related Captions:  UN Official Dies Of Ebola(In Profile Daily), UN Health  Worker Dies in Germany Hospital(The New Republic), UNMIL Staff Dies of Ebola(The New Dawn), UN Volunteer Who Worked In UNMIL Medical Dies(Heritage), UNMIL Confirms Death of Int'l Civilian Staff(The News),UN Health Worker Dies in Germany Hospital(INSIGHT)

LEITI Gets New Board

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has re-constituted the Board of the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI). The LEITI Board, in accordance with the EITI Standards and the LEITI Act of July 2009, has a multi-stakeholders nature, comprising of representations from diverse stakeholder groups including the Government of Liberia, Civil Society and the private sector. Those appointed to the new Multi Stakeholders Steering Group (MSG), according to an Executive Mansion release, include the Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy as Chairman; the Minister of Finance and Development Planning; Mrs. Cecelia T. Danuweli of the Publish What You Pay Coalition; Mr. Ezekiel Johnson of the National Labor Congress and the Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority, In Profile Daily reports.

Related Captions: LEITI Gets New Board(The New Dawn), LEITI Gets New Board(The News)

Ellen Identifies With Titus Nauaha, Family

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has provided some food items and cash to the family of Titus Nauaha upon being discharged from the SOS Clinic in Congo Town. Presenting the items on behalf of President Sirleaf on Monday at the West Point Town Hall, Monrovia City Mayor Clara Doe Mvogo urged Titus’ parents to abide by the regulations of the clinic. Titus Nauaha was one of two boys shot in West Point, but the bullet did not penetrate his stomach and he was taken to the SDA Cooper Clinic and later the SOS Clinic for treatment, Heritage reports.

Related Captions: Pres. Sirleaf Identifies With Titus Nauaha, Family(INSIGHT)

OTHER STORIES

Mark Zuckerberg Gives $25M To Fight Ebola

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan are giving $25 million to the CDC Foundation to help fight the Ebola epidemic. In a Facebook post, Zuckerberg said the epidemic is “at a critical turning point”.  “We believe our grant is the quickest way to empower the CDC  and the experts in this field to prevent this outcome”, he continued “Grants like this directly help the front-line responders in their heroic work. These people are on the ground setting up care centers, training local staff, identifying Ebola cases and much more”, the News reports.

Russia To Send Ebola Vaccine To W. Africa In 2 Months

According to the News newspaper, in two months, Russia is planning to send a new experimental vaccine against Ebola to Africa, according to the Country’s Health Minister. The efficiency of the drug, which is to be tested on the ground, is about 70-90 percent. “Today we are discussing that we will have enough of Triazoverin vaccine in two months so that we can send them to our personnel in Guinea and test its efficiency in clinical conditions,” Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said. Marburg virus which is very similar to Ebola. “The efficiency ranges between 70 and 90 percent and this is a very good indicator,” Skvortsova said..

Victory Temple Buttresses GoL's Effort

The FOCUS reports that the head of the Task Force of the UCGC Victory Temple Church, Nyemab Brown says the Church has embarked on a weeklong donation of food and anti-Ebola items to Ebola treatment centers and in the community to fight the virus.  The UCGC is the United Church of God In Christ Incorporated, located in Paynesville. The weeklong food and anti-Ebola items donation, according to Mr. Brown, began Monday with the ELWA and John F. Kennedy Ebola treatment centers. The ELWA Ebola treatment center received 10 bags of 25kg rice and two cartoons of chloride and powder soap, while the John F. Kenney Ebola Treatment Center received the same amount of items, the Task Force head has said. Speaking to the press after the representation of the items separately, Mr. Brown stressed that the Victory Temple Church is trying in its weak way to buttress government’s effort in kicking out the deadly virus.

Related Caption: "We are buttressing gov't's effort", Says Victory Temple Church Ebola Task Force Head, Nyemah Brown(INSIGHT)

Bomi County Community Radio Back On Air

The Bomi County Community Radio Station which has been down for more than 48 days due to fire outbreak on its facilities resumed full broadcast operations on Monday October 13, 2014 in Tubmanburg city. The regional news outlet which broadcast on frequency 98.9 FM facilities and equipment were restored to operation with support from the International Exchange Board (IREX) under its Civil Society and Media Leadership Program (CSML) and the Bomi County Legislative Caucus. Speaking as she cut the ribbon to the building at official program marking the dedication of the refurbished entity, IREX Media Specialist Maureen Sieh reaffirmed IREX support to the Liberian media including community radio stations. She urged the management of the Bomi County Community Radio Station to ensure that the people of the county have unhindered access to the radio. For his part, the Station Manager of the Bomi County Community Radio Station Zinnah Cassell lauded IREX, Plan-Liberia and the Bomi County Legislative caucus for the generous contribution towards restoring the station. He assured that the station which has suffered fire disaster twice since its establishment in 2005 will not go down the drain again in similar manner, according to the INSIGHTnewspaper.