Mahama visits ‘Ebola countries’ today

The Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President John Dramani Mahama, will today visit three West African countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea - which have been affected by the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease.

The one-day visit will enable the ECOWAS Chair hold discussions with his colleague heads of state on available sub-regional and international interventions to support the countries in their effort to contain and manage the Ebola outbreak.

With some countries and airlines discontinuing flights into the three countries, President Mahama has been leading a strong advocacy against any international isolation of the affected countries, as, he believes, it will make relief and humanitarian assistance to infected persons difficult.

President Mahama has already decided to work with the United Nations to set up an international logistics centre in Accra to serve as the main hub for the fight against Ebola in the West African Subregion.

President Mahama will, on behalf of the Government and people of Ghana, donate quantities of various Made in Ghana products to each country during the visit.

The haemorrhagic disease has already killed more than 2,000 people in West Africa and affected twice that number.

Apart from the three worst-hit countries being visited by Mahama, the other affected areas in the region include Nigeria, D R Congo and Senegal.

Ghana has tested several suspected cases, which have all proved futile.

The country’s Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research (NMIMR) is currently testing the latest suspected case.

Ebola has a mortality rate of between 50 and 90 percent. It kills within 21 days after infection.

It is transmitted through fluids and tissue of infected persons as well as the eating of apes, fruit bats and antelopes.