President Koroma co-chairs EU High Level conference on Ebola

President Ernest Bai Koroma Tuesday 3 March 2015 alongside the Presidents of Guinea and Liberia, and representatives of the European Union, the United Nations, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) co-chaired the "Ebola from Emergency to Recovery" Conference in Brussels to consider the additional actions needed to end the outbreak and to map out strategies to guide the recovery process of the three worst-hit countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The conference which attracted over 150 delegates, including 69 countries was opened by Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

In his opening statement, President Koroma said there would be no total victory against Ebola until the three worst affected countries record, what he described as a resilient zero for 42 days

. "Victory against the virus is in sight, but we must guard against complacency," he warned.

The president acknowledged the EU and its member states, including the United Kingdom for their great commitment to supporting Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia to help tackle the epidemic.

"We deeply appreciate your commitments and steadfast promotion of social solidarity and human advancement," Sierra Leone’s leader emphasized.

President Koroma pointed out that resilient recovery could only be possible when the Mano River Union and its development partners respond to the many ways the disease had made the countries vulnerable, saying that urgent delivery of better and more effective social services is needed.

He outlined the four priorities of the new social service delivery pact drawn by his government to ensure resilient recovery: restoring health services; reopening schools; protecting the vulnerable; and sustaining the recovery process through expanding government’s fiscal space and enabling private sector led growth.

Presidents Conde of Guinea and Sirleaf of Liberia also presented their emerging national strategies and noted the priority areas for recovery arising from their strategies, including the safe resumption of basic social services such as health, education, water and sanitation, agriculture and food security.

The co-chairs pledged their efforts and resources to immediately end the Ebola epidemic, ensure early recovery, and rebuild enhanced, resilient and inclusive health and social services, maintain positive social behaviors, invest in infrastructure aimed at overhauling poor social service infrastructures such as schools and health centers. They also committed to "improving public administration and finance management in social and health sectors, in particular financial compliance and efficient and accountable execution of expenditure in response to actual needs on the ground," a joint statement of the co-chairs stated.

A presentation on Sierra Leone’s post-Ebola recovery strategy was done by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Dr Kaifala Marrah.

He said that the country has experienced two shocks; the Ebola outbreak in May 2014 and the collapse of iron ore prices in the international market, adding that the socio-economic impact of the epidemic has been devastating.

The logic of the strategy, the Minister said, is getting Sierra Leone to zero infections and staying zero, immediate and short term recovery needs, and supremacy of the "Agenda for Prosperity" (medium-long term needs to be integrated into the agenda), as agreed with development partners.

On returning home yesterday 4th March, President Koroma and entourage made stop overs in both Dakar and Conakry where he was given a red carpet welcome by his Senegalese counterpart President Macky Sall and the Guinean Prime Minister Mohamed Said Fofana.

SHCU