The ACP Committee of Ambassadors at its 875th Meeting held on 18 September 2014 in Brussels, Belgium

Expressing its Grave Concern for the outbreak of the Ebola haemorrhagic fever in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, since March 2014, which has reached an epidemic level with over approximately 3000 deaths reported so far, and which could infect more than 20,000 people and spread to more countries, as also reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 31 deaths have occurred from a separate outbreak;

Noting that this Ebola outbreak constitutes a threat to global peace and security, and a public health risk of great proportions to the affected countries as well as other States, in view of the virulence of the virus, the intensive community and health facility transmission patterns, and the weak health systems in the currently affected and most at-risk countries;

Recognising that the affected countries are faced with numerous challenges, including their fragile health systems, with significant deficits in human, financial and material resources, high mobility of populations, which increases the risk of cross-border movement of infected persons, and the weak capacity of the regional network for disease surveillance and response;

Observing that there are no approved Ebola vaccines or treatments, although experimental Ebola virus treatments have been used on some patients;

Strongly Commending the efforts of the Governments of the affected countries and the West African Region, ECOWAS, the African Union (AU) through its Mission, AU Support to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA), the relevant organs, specialized agencies and programmes of the United Nations system ( such as WHO, UNICEF), the World Bank Group, the European Union, the United States of America, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) such as Médécins sans Frontières (MSF), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the International Community, towards containing the disease;

Acknowledging with appreciation the financial, material and technical contributions by a number of ACP Member States towards these efforts to control the current Ebola epidemic in the affected countries in the West African Region;

Noting with Concern the imposed travel and trade restrictions to and from the affected countries, particularly, the suspension of operations of some regional and international airlines, that have hampered the intervention efforts as well as food production and supply;

Emphasizing that this current Ebola virus outbreak is no longer of a regional concern, but an international public health emergency with possible humanitarian, economic and social consequences;

HEREBY:

Urges the United States of America, the European Union, and the relevant organs, specialized agencies and programmes of the United Nations system, the African Union, and the International Community as a whole, to urgently provide to the affected countries, the necessary resources and assistance, in a timely, effective and coordinated manner to support and strengthen their capacities to respond to the current Ebola outbreak.

Commends the decision to establish the United Nations Ebola Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund and the United Nations Foundation Ebola Response Fund and Urges for their rapid deployment.

Appeals to other ACP Member States, in the context of the solidarity of the ACP Group of States, to make contributions towards the efforts of controlling this unprecedented Ebola epidemic in the West African region.

Urges further the international community to support the implementation of synchronized cross-border interventions to fight the current Ebola haemorrhagic fever virus, as well as supporting the countries at risk in other African regions, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, through strengthened epidemiological surveillance, conduct of rapid assessment, social mobilization, training of health personnel, among others.

Calls on States to lift the travel and trade restrictions, imposed as a result of the Ebola outbreak and also Calls on airlines and shipping companies to maintain trade and transport links with the affected countries.

Recommends the convening of an International Conference on the control of the Ebola Outbreaks, organized by the ACP Group of States, the African Union and the European Union in Brussels, Belgium.

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