Svani Group joins effort to combat Ebola

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has kicked off a partnership with Svani Group Limited, a Ghanaian vehicle dealership operating across West Africa, to support the United Nations’ response to Ebola.

Svani handed over to the UNDP, eight vehicles that would be used by the UN Mission on Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the three countries most affected by the epidemic, and Ghana, where the mission is based. The donation included three 20kV standby generators. 

“It is really gratifying to see organisations such as Svani step up and join the fight against Ebola,” the UNDP Country Director in Accra, Mr Dominic Sam, said in a statement issued by the UNDP in Accra last Thursday. 

“The response needs equipment, logistical support, technology and innovation and this partnership is going to boost the UN’s efforts to end this horrible disease,” he added.

The Svani Group Chairman, Mr Thomas Svanikier said, “we are happy to heed the call made by the ECOWAS Chairperson, President John Mahama and the UN Secretary-General for the private sector to step up its engagement toward eradicating Ebola.”

The United Nations established UNMEER at the end of September. The mission’s objective is to bring together the UN’s overall effort, is to stop the spread of the disease and  prevent it from appearing in unaffected countries, as well as treat and care for the infected. 

UNDP is working with UNMEER to contain the disease and help affected countries recover from the crisis. Its three priorities are to coordinate services, facilitate services for Ebola response workers; mobilise and reach out to communities, working with local networks to stop the spread of the disease; and help affected countries to recover, through welfare payments and plans to kick-start economies and livelihoods.