Press statement: Companies operating in West Africa welcome increasing international coordination

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Press statement: Companies operating in West Africa welcome increasing international coordination

26 September 2014 – As a group of companies committed to West Africa – the Ebola Private Sector Mobilisation Group (EPSMG) – we welcome this week’s announcement by the UK government that it is to lead the international drive against Ebola in Sierra Leone. We also support the resolution adopted on September 18 by the United Nations Security Council urging immediate action as well as to end the isolation of affected countries.

According to the World Health Organisation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the epidemic may not have peaked yet and the numbers of Ebola cases could rise significantly if there are no additional interventions or changes in community behaviour. They underline again the seriousness of the situation and the necessity for international coordination if there is to be any hope of containing and reversing the virus.

According to the UN and the World Health Organisation, “the Ebola outbreak is no longer just a public health crisis; but a complex emergency, with significant, social, economic, humanitarian, political and security dimensions” underlining the seriousness of the situation and the necessity for international coordination.

The EPSMG represents some of the largest private employers in West Africa, all of whom remain committed to the region. The group was formed to raise awareness of the need to do more to stop the spreading of Ebola and to prevent the isolation of the countries affected by the outbreak.

We view the increasing international coordination, led by the US and joined by the UK and other major nations, as a significant step in the right direction and we hope that we will soon start to see the results. We are supporting the efforts in whatever way we can and will continue to do so.