UN to support Ghana's fight against Ebola

UN to support Ghana
# 21 October 2014 02:30 (UTC +04:00)

Wolfgang Haas, Coordination Specialist of the UN in Ghana, said, in the wake of the Ebola crisis, the UN had a central role in ensuring a rapid and effective response to eradicate Ebola as quickly as possible.

He was speaking in Accra at the launch of the 69th celebration of the UN Day.

The Ebola disease has so far killed some 4,500 people in the three West African states of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, out of over 8,900 cases.
Experts say Ebola poses a threat to the world's peace and security, hence united efforts are needed to stop it.
In response, the UN has stationed its Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) in Ghana's capital, Accra, to provide a platform for wide-ranging international efforts to put an end to the spread of the disease.
This is the first time in history that the UN has created a mission for a public health emergency.
"In Ghana, the UN is working closely with government to ensure Ghana has the necessary infrastructure and capacities in place to protect the population from this deadly virus," said Haas.
Senior officials of UN agencies working to end the Ebola scourge in West Africa have urged the UN and global community to adopt a unified and coordinated approach to the international support being provided to national response plans on Ebola eradication.
The UN Day, which falls on October 24, marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter.
This year's UN Day celebration is under the global theme: ' Global Citizenship and Youth' while the local theme for Ghana is ' Youth Engagement for Nation Building'.
The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwesi Quartey, urged the youth to take up the challenge of preparing towards taking up leadership roles to create opportunities for self-improvement.
"Ghana recognizes that the ways in which young people are able to realize their potential can influence social and economic conditions and the well-being and livelihood of future generations, " he said.
Ghana's celebration will involve a week-long series of activities comprising television and radio shows to sensitize the general public on the activities and achievements of the UN, a model UN General Assembly by students from selected educational institutions across the country, as well as a flag-raising ceremony to climax the celebration.
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