As the African Union Commission heightens its response to the Ebola epidemic, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission HE Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will travel to the West African sub-region to assess the situation firsthand. She will be accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Dr. Carlos Lopes and the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Donald Kaberuka.

The AU Commission Chairperson and the delegation will visit Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, during which she is expected to meet with all the Heads of State and Government of the affected countries to express solidarity and to get an appreciation first hand of the issues on the ground.

Dr. Dlamini Zuma’s delegation will meet with the President of Ghana, H.E. John Mahama in his capacity as Chair of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS), critical issues aimed at accelerating the fight against Ebola, as well as measures needed to alleviate the socio-economic consequences of the disease outbreak. Dr. Dlamini Zuma will continue to press on for more support from AU Member States.

Last week, Dr. Dlamini Zuma wrote to African Heads of State and Government appealing for more medical volunteers to assist with the dire needs to stem the epidemic that is fast becoming a major threat to Africa’s peace and security and socio-economic development.

‘We remain committed and in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in West Africa  to put the Ebola epidemic epidemic under control”, said Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the AU Commission Chairperson. “We commend the ongoing continental and global efforts, but frankly, a lot more needs to be done to raise the needed resources considering the magnitude and rate of increase of the epidemic. The continent must mobilise the human resources needed as a matter of urgency”, she added.

The Chairperson’s visit to the region follows an earlier visit by the AU Commissioner for Social Affairs, Dr. Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko to affected countries and to Ghana two weeks earlier. In addition to the emergency meetings of its Executive and Peace and Security Councils creating the  African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak (Operation ASEOWA), and the providing financial assistance, the AU has deployed medical volunteers to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Deployment to Guinea will follow soon.