Africans in Diaspora Mobilise Resources for Ebola
Ebola Virus
Nduka Nwosu in New York
A United States-based non-governmental organisation, Global Africa Response,
comprising over 12 groups, African communities, religious bodies has
launched a strong campaign preparatory for future occurrences of Ebola virus
as the United Nations warns that the number of the infected will double to
over 20,000 in the weeks ahead.
A joint statement signed by Evelyn Joe of the African Union Diaspora
Organisation and Mouna Garga representing the Tunisian Maghreb Diaspora
Region, continental Africa Diaspora Information on Ebola Crisis, indicated
that it is mobilising resources, men and materials to address the health
epidemic by engaging organisations, individuals and other partners to combat
the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
A New Jersey-based Nigeria Diaspora publisher heading one of the NGOs,
Celebrate Africa Foundation, Dr Chika Onyeani, told THISDAY: When the Ebola
disease began in December 2013, Africa Diaspora was quiet. When 1,000
Africans in West Africa died from the EVD, there was no concerted effort.
Now it has killed over 4,200 Africans with infections reaching almost
10,000. The Ebola disease is having devastating effects on the economic life
and destroying the social fabric of the African region.
The Global African Diaspora community needs to mobilise to contribute
financially and product-wise, including N100 and P95 respirators, medical
facemasks, disposable gloves, surface wipes and disinfectants, protective
clothing, respirator fit test kits, N95 respirators, hand wipes and
sanitizers, goggles and safety glasses, thermometers.
The time for rhetoric was yesterday, said the statement, the time for
action is now. We must not allow the Africas detractors to mischaracterise
and politicise the plight, and stigmatise our continent again.
According to the UN latest report issued last Friday, the number of Ebola
cases is probably doubling every three-to-four weeks and without a mass
global mobilisation the world will have to live with the Ebola virus
forever,
UN special envoy on the disease, David Nabarro, told the UN General Assembly
that the response needs to be 20 times greater.
According to Global Africa Diaspora Response, it is bringing together
existing networks and engaging new efforts to facilitate solutions.
The Africa Diaspora Response, therefore, will not duplicate or replace
existing efforts, but will play a complementary role by convening
stakeholders and creating resources, and supporting their efforts, and
sharing information, the statement added, insisting that the Africa
Diaspora community can no longer continue to be uninvolved as if nothing is
happening in our continent and to our infected and affected brothers,
sisters, mothers, fathers, children in Africa.
Neither can we rationalise that the catastrophic virus is the concern of
only the affected and isolated countries.
The Global African Diaspora has the moral obligation to act. In solidarity
with the affected countries and constituents, we are responding to the Ebola
virus crisis in a compelling, integrated and coordinated manner, included a
clearinghouse on information, programmes, events, activities by various
constituencies.
This is an unprecedented initiative with Diaspora Africans and institutions
from all the five Regions in Africa and the Global Diaspora, the statement
added, mobilising constituent organisations at all levels, including
African artists, faith groups, health care professionals, student clubs, and
social media to come together and also collaborate with the African
Diplomatic Corp in order to effectively and efficiently redress the Ebola
virus crisis.
In the process, it said: We aim to develop a model of capacity building by
identifying available professional skills to address health crisis in Africa
as opposed to episodic responses.
This initiative focuses on advancing informed public education, advocacy,
capacity building and mobilisation, resource-raising, expediting delivery of
supplies, and complementing the ground efforts of African countries.
Mobilisation means getting every African Diaspora involved, it means
convincing your family, your friends, your organisations, your religious
institutions to be a part of this unfortunate but major necessary action.
While the effort is the leadership responsibility of Africa Diaspora,
partnerships with the international community are welcomed.
Also, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, corroborating Nabarros
statement, added that catching up with what he called the menacing
exponential curve of the virus, demands a massive scale-up of financial
resources, medical staff and equipment, lamenting that only one-quarter of
the $1 billion that U.N. agencies have appealed for to tackle Ebola has been
funded.
I now appeal to all member states to act generously and swiftly, Eliasson
said while addressing diplomats from some of the 193 UN member states. He
continued: Speed is of the essence. A contribution within days is more
important than a larger contribution within weeks.
Nabarro noted that without the mass mobilisation of nations, donor
organisations and non-governmental groups to support the affected countries
in West Africa, it will be impossible to get this disease quickly under
control, and the world will have to live with the Ebola virus forever.
Eliasson said in his 35 years as a public health doctor dealing with disease
outbreaks and pandemics, he has never encountered a challenge like Ebola
because the outbreak has moved from rural areas into towns and cities and is
now affecting a whole region and ... impacting on the whole world.
He said the UN, which is coordinating the global response, knows what needs
to be done to catch up to and overtake Ebolas rapid advance, and together
were going to do it.
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in
anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni
katika machafuko"
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