Resolution relating to the EBOLA virus epidemic in Africa


African Union

Resolution relating to the EBOLA virus epidemic in Africa

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the serious health situation related to the deadly EBOLA virus in West Africa particularly in Guinea, Sierra-Leone, Liberia and in Central Africa namely, the Democratic Republic of Congo;RECOGNISING that the commitments made by African Heads of State within the framework of the "Abuja Declaration" in 2006, in particular the allocation of 15% of national budgets to public health by 2015, have not yet been implemented in all the States; which explains the dysfunctioning of our health systems;SENSITIVE to the substantial loss in human lives, that is, five thousand five hundred (5500) deaths as at 8 October 2014 according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the socio-economic consequences of this epidemic in African countries;DEEPLY CONCERNED by the speed of the spread of the EBOLA virus, the provision of care and support to the different cases detected and the need for its eradication from the continent;CONSCIOUS of the insufficient material, human and financial resources necessary to fight against this scourge, the resistance and lack of cooperation of some affected communities to the adequate provision of care and support;CONSIDERING the difficulty in mobilising the funds necessary for the fight against this epidemic; since only one-quarter (¼) of the amount earmarked has been mobilised;NOTING that to date, research by international laboratories have neither arrived at any effective treatment nor has there been any homologated vaccine against this virus which was discovered since 1976;COMMENDS the involvement of the African Union, technical and financial partners and regional and international organisations in the fight and the mobilisation of the resources necessary for the execution of the reprisal plans developed by the countries concerned;
The Pan-African Parliament decides:That a fact-finding, monitoring and evaluation mission on the epidemic be sent to the affected countries in light of the prevailing health and humanitarian situation.Midrand, 23 October 2014.
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