Ghana to become hub for UN supplies to Ebola countries
The United Nations (UN) has offered to assist Ghana to prevent the Ebola virus from entering the country, following President John Dramani Mahama’s acceptance of a request from the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, for Ghana to be used as a logistics base for international flights to affected countries.
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The UN chief had a telephone conversation with President Mahama last Friday evening after which the former agreed to the request.
Consequently, the UN had offered to assist Ghana to review and strengthen its Ebola preparedness in order not to suffer unduly by exposing itself to the disease.
A statement from the Flagstaff House Communications Bureau, copied to the Daily Graphic said, “The United Nations and Ghana will work closely to put in place appropriate screening and prevention measures to avoid any adverse effects on Ghana as a result of the operations of the Logistics Centre.”
The agreement reached between President Mahama and the UN boss, according to the statement, meant, “The UN and other international organisations will use Accra as a centre for airlifting supplies and personnel to the most affected countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.”
Why the UN move
The statement attributed the UN’s decision to establish a logistics base in Accra to the suspension of flights to the Ebola affected areas by some airlines.
“Following the outbreak of the Ebola virus, most of the regular commercial flights into the affected areas have been suspended, making it difficult for equipment, logistics and personnel to reach the affected nations, “ it said.
For many who have followed the developments in the Ebola affected countries, the decision by the UN chief to look for a central point to coordinate logistics flow would not find it surprising.
The statement recalled that since international airlines started suspending flights, and neighbouring countries closed their borders to the affected countries, the UN had persistently cautioned that the restrictions would aggravate the fight against the disease, as the countries become isolated.
“The current limitations on flights into and out of these countries and the restrictions placed on aircraft originating from these countries transiting through airports in neighbouring countries, though understandable, are not warranted,” the chief UN Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, was quoted in the international media as saying last week, the statement said.
“Using Accra as the logistics and coordination centre would, therefore, open a vital corridor to get urgently-needed supplies and health personnel into the affected countries and areas, “ the Flagstaff House statement explained.
Staging post
It is, however, not immediately known whether the UN logistics base would be different from the staging post, which the President said Ghana was going to establish in Accra.
Opening the 5th West Africa Health Ministers’ Conference devoted to Ebola in Accra on August 28, President Mahama said Ghana was to set up a staging post in Accra to serve as the central point for sending vital medical supplies and personnel to Ebola affected countries in West Africa.
He said he had instructed the Ghana Armed Forces to collaborate with international health organisations to bring the project to fruition as soon as possible.
