THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

News of the International Monetary Fund US$48 million assistance to Liberia’s economic recovery plan, Finance and Development Planning Ministry’s pronouncement that hazard pay for health workers is now being disbursed and the announcement of a second US health worker being tested Ebola positive are among stories dominating our summary of the local dailies for today.

DOMINANT STORIES

Liberia’s Delegation To World Bank Meeting Returns With Huge Page

Finance and Development Planning Minister, Amara M. Konneh, as head of a Liberian delegation to the just ended annual meetings of the World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) held constructive Country level discussions with the officials of the WB, IMF and other development partners aimed at mobilizing funding support to Ebola response activities and also for post Ebola recovery plan. The delegation articulated clearly with the donors including the development agency that Liberia was looking for new avenues of support to fight Ebola and deal with probable associated economic and social issues, Heritage writes.

Related Captions: IMF Chief Wants “Budget Support” For Liberia…Recognizes Ebola’s Bang on Economy(The New Dawn), IMF Pumps US$48M....Into Liberia's Economic Recovery(The News)

619 Health Workers Get Risk Pay - GOL Says 333 Receiving Pay at Ecobank Waterside

The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has issued a statement in Monrovia informing the public and development partners that consistent with its October 8, 2014 pronouncement on payment of risk benefits to health workers assigned in Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs) across the country, the hazard payments are being made as from the month of September. According to the MFDP, of the 1,015 health workers deployed in ETUs, the 619 health workers with bank accounts have already received their pay in these accounts as of Monday, October 13, Daily Observer reports.

Related Captions: Health Workers Assigned At Ebola Treatment Units Are Being Paid Hazard Pay For September(Heritage), Pay Ready-But Finance Claims Some Health Workers Not Showing Up(In Profile Daily), Government Clarifies Hazard Payment (FOCUS), Govt. Begins Payment to Health Workers(The New Dawn),  Health Worker Receiving Hazard Payment…Development Planning Ministry Says(The News), September Hazard Pay For Health Workers(New Democrat), GOL Begins Hazard Payment for Health Workers(FrontPage Africa),  Hazard Payment In Progress For Health Workers(INSIGHT)

Second Health Worker Becomes Ebola Positive

A second health worker in the US state of Texas has tested positive for Ebola, health officials say. Both health workers tested Liberian man Thomas Duncan, who died last week after becoming the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the US. Anthony Banbury told a special session of the UN Security Council on Tuesday that if Ebla was not stopped now, the world would "face an entirely unprecedented situation for which we do not have a plan". The FOCUS says President Barrack Obama is due to hold a video conference with British, French, German and Italian leaders to discuss the Ebola crisis later on Wednesday. The identity of the second Texas health worker has not yet been revealed.

Related Captions: Second Health Worker Tests Positive In US(West Africa INFO POST), Second Texas Health Worker Tests Positive For  Ebola(The New Dawn), Second Texas Ebola Case Announces(The News), Second Texas Health Worker Tests Positive for Ebola(INSIGHT), Second Nurse To Contract Ebola From ‘Patient Zero’ Identified in Texas(Daily Observer)

AFL Engineer Company Rolls Out Intervention Plans

Engineers of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) have disclosed plans to carry out several reconstruction works in Bong County, Central Liberia. Major Joshua T. Gayflor, Commander of the First Engineering Company, made the disclosure on Tuesday, October 14, 2014, when he briefed the Minister of National Defense, Brownie Samukai and his entourage at the Tubman Military Barracks in Gbarnga, Bong County. Accordingly, since its activation in 2007, the First Engineering Company has continuously supported other arms of the AFL and the Government of Liberia in infrastructural development. In hs brief to Minister Samukai, Major Gayflor revealed that engineers of the AFL are expected shortly to carry out the rehabilitation of a 1.8 kilometers stretch of road leading to the Gbarnga Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU), In Profile Daily reports.

Related Captions: AFL Engineers Poised For Bong Roads(The Democrat), AFL Engineer Company Rolls Our Intervention Plans(The Inquirer), AFL Engineer Company Set For Road Rehab(Daily Observer)

OTHER STORIES

Health Workers Benefit Bill Submitted

A bill intended to champion the interest of health workers, infants and epidemic survivors and to enhance the health sector of Liberia is before the Plenary of the House of Representatives for enactment. The proposed legislation entitled: "Health Workers, Infants and Epidemic Survivors' Protection Bill", was submitted by Montserrado County Representative Julius Berrian, the West Africa INFO Post reports.

CHAL Compliments Government Effort As 12 Clinics In Montserrado Receive Anti-Ebola Medical Supplies

As the fight to eradicate the killer disease Ebola that has claimed the lives of many Liberians intensifies, one institution that is working tirelessly in contributing immensely to compliment government’s efforts to get rid  of the Ebola virus in the country is the Christian Health Association of Liberia (CHAL) through the provision of medical supplies, training and awareness as a means to enlighten the citizens on the serious risk the virus poses if precautionary measures are not adequately put into place. Evidenced by this, Dense Maxwell and Oratus T. S. Sammy both officers in Charge of the New Community Clinic and Faith Clinic in Lower Virginia and Hotel Africa Road respectively expressed profound gratitude to the Christian Health Association for their farsightedness in providing the clinics with the medical material, West Africa Info Post reports.

Liberian Ebola Survivors Return To Help The Sick

Ms. Karwah, 26 years old, who had been a Nurse's Assistant at a private clinic before the outbreak, recovered from the virus and was discharged on September 5 as a patient from the ELWA treatment unit. Less than a month later, she returned as one of seven Ebola survivors hired by the clinic, run by Doctors Without Borders to counsel and comfort those suffering from the disease. She and the other survivors are paid for their work at the Ebola unit. They are part of a select group that has withstood the virus here and they want to help, FrontPage Africa reports.

Liberia Observes Global Hand Washing Day

Liberia on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 joined other countries the world over to observe and celebrate Global Hand Washing Day. The day was celebrated in Liberia under the theme: “Choose Hand Washing, Choose Health’. Speaking at program marking the celebration of the day, Chuchu Selma, Acting Team Leader of waterAid Liberia and Sierra Leone said the tragedies consuming the West African Countries affected by Ebola show what can happen when people lack basic toilet, clean water and not practicing good hygiene including hand washing, In Profile Daily reports.

Related Caption: Liberia Observes Global Hand Washing Day(FOCUS)

CBL Gives L$ 1M To Two Credit Unions In Bassa

The micro-finance department of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has extended a loan of one million Liberian dollars to two credit unions in district #2 in Grand Bassa County. Presenting the cheque to the two institutions at the district civil compound on Monday, CBL Loan Coordinator for Grand Bassa County, James Brooks said the loan is intended to empower citizens to engage in business, in Profile Daily reports.

WFP-Liberia Constructing Health Facilities

As part of the United Nation World Food Program (UNWFP)-Liberia support to the Ebola response, the organization has begun building health centers and flying in aid workers and life-saving supplies in the country. WFP-Liberia Deputy Country Director, Mr. Alghassim Wurie said his organization is also responding to government’s request for support with scale up of its emergency operation, FOCUS newspaper reports.

Liberia May Get Air Ambulance... Saah  Joseph Discloses

Montserrado County Representative Saah Joseph has disclosed that efforts are being made to get an air ambulance to help boost the country's health sector. The lawmaker who presently runs an ambulance service free-of-charge in the city, said the air ambulance, in the form of helicopter is valued at US 12m, but because of negotiation, this has significantly been reduced to one million United State Dollars, the Inquirer newspaper reports.

LTA Hosts Digital Migration Meeting

The Liberia Telecommunications Authority will host a strategic steering committee meeting on Digital Migration today which will expedite the process for how the nation will move away from the analogue platform for transmitting television signals to a digital platform which will bring better quality video and audio access to the nation, the New Dawn newspaper writes.