President Johnson-Sirleaf praised Liberians for their resilience against Ebola
By Jos Garneo Cephas (Liberia Tourism Media Network) – The Liberian Leader, President Sirleaf has lauded health workers, the national security forces, traditional leaders, political parties, for their resilience against Ebola.
The President said: “your resilience and network with others exhibiting the greatest degree of patriotism through unity to raid Ebola out of Liberia is commendable”.
She also praised the international community, including national NGOs and international development partners for the coordinated efforts and said her county will make to assist until Sierra Leone and Guinea are freed from Ebola.
She made the statement on Monday 11, 2015 in Monrovia during a massive celebration and elaborate thanks giving ceremony across Liberia where she received the a certificate from WHO after the declaration on Saturday.
President Johnson-Sirleaf specially called for hand washing, a basic practice advanced by health authorities. She said: “The fight against Ebola will intensify, because Liberia’s neighbors are still struggling with the virus.”
Madam Sirleaf then paid tribute to her compatriots for containing the spread of the epidemic, despite its life-threatening impact.
There were several world and African leaders invited; including Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbe, Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Hannah S. Tetteh, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadre Ouedraogo, as well as Nigeria’s Health Minister, Khaliru Alhassan, among several others.
Separate statements of support were made by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ouedraogo, Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbe and the Ghanaian Foreign Minister including the World Health Organization and the list goes.
The Ghanaian Foreign Minister, Hannah S. Tetteh has said the rest of West Africa needs the resilience of Liberia in fighting Ebola to get the region totally freed from the hands of the Ebola Virus.
Minister Tetteh said: “Let make sure we use all it takes to see Sierra Leone and Guinea as the last lap to get them out of the grip of Ebola and make our region is freed”.
Minister Tetteh said considering Liberia been the hardest hit by Ebola notwithstanding, it has become the first country to come out of the crisis.
“There is a need to review the decision of countries which closed your doors and airlines to stop the isolation against Liberia and aloud your flights to the country once more”.
Foreign Minister Tetteh has therefore, called on Liberians to write their own stories since Ebola is not a tradition and culture of the region, “This, we the ECOWAS’ countries, the continent and the rest of the world to learn”.
She therefore, called on the international community to see the importance of post-Ebola and recognize there is lot more work to be done.
Madam Tetteh congratulated Liberians the corps of African health workers who for working in rough and difficult terrines only to save lives in Liberia.
The declaration was made after Liberia observed and completed the second required 42-Day No New Cases period in May.
The first observation of ‘No Cases count down into the 42-day was cancelled when a 42-year old Monrovia-based woman came down with the virus being the last case but died subsequently in March 2015.
Ebola wept out an estimated 11,000 lives since the outbreak in the West Africa Region last year but remains active in neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone.
In early February 2014, the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was discovered in a village bordering Liberia and Guinea killing the initial two Guinean who have entered Liberia to seek medical attention.
The strange virus later spread until a public campaign was launched by the Liberian Government to stem the epidemic, when the EVD was officially confirmed in Liberia claiming lives on 27, 2015.
