AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE UNIÃO AFRICANA Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: 517 700 Fax: 5130 36 website: www. www.au.int SC13763 ASSEMBLY OF THE UNION Twenty-Fourth Ordinary Session 30-31 January 2015 Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA Assembly/AU/3(XXIV) Original: English PROGRESS REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON THE AU SUPPORT TO EBOLA IN WEST AFRICA (ASEOWA)
PROGRESS REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON THE AU SUPPORT TO EBOLA IN WEST AFRICA (ASEOWA) Assembly/AU/3(XXIV) Page 1 A. BACKGROUND Current Ebola Situation 1. The overall Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) situation in the three countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea remains a public health concern especially in the rural areas where access by public health personnel is difficult, and along the porous country boarders to neighboring countries. It has recently spread to Mali from neighbouring Guinea. Mapping of Ebola Virus hotspots in the three countries has been completed however, new cases still continue to surface in new parts of these countries. The EVD outbreak in West Africa has been unprecedented and the situation has gone from bad to worse. According to WHO, as at 14 December 2014 there have been more than 18,603 reported cases of EVD, with 6915 reported deaths the in eight affected countries - Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone (countries with widespread and intense transmission) and Nigeria, Senegal, Spain, and the US (countries with an initial case or localized transmission), as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mali. At the time of this report, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Mali remain with the Ebola Virus Disease. 2. However, there are encouraging signs. In the three countries with wide and intense transmission, the EVD transmission appears to be flattening. Reports from the Ministries of Health of the affected countries indicate that reported case incidence is fluctuating in Guinea and declining in Liberia. In Sierra Leone, there are signs the increase in incidence has slowed, and that incidence may no longer be increasing. The case fatality rate in the three intense-transmission countries among all cases for whom a definitive outcome is recorded is 70%. For those patients recorded as hospitalized, the case fatality rate is 60% in each of Guinea and Sierra Leone, and 58% in Liberia. 3. In Mali, A total of 8 cases (7 confirmed and 1 probable), including 6 deaths (5 confirmed, 1 probable), have been reported. The most recent 7 cases are in the Malian capital Bamako, and are not related to the country s first EVD case, who died in Kayes on 24 October. The last confirmed case tested negative for the second time on 6 December, and was discharged from hospital on 11 December. All identified contacts connected with both the initial case and the outbreak in Bamako have now completed 21 day follow-up. 4. Each country s national Inter-Ministerial Ebola Advisory Committees, national Ebola Task Forces, under which Emergency Operations Centers are located have greatly, improved the multiagency response planning and coordination of activities, and so has close cooperation between all participating partners. 5. Nigeria and Senegal were declared Ebola-free by the WHO in October 2014.
Page 2 6. The map below indicates the geographical distribution of new and total confirmed and probable cases of EVD in Guinea, Liberia, Mali and Sierra Leone. Source: WHO Figure I: Geographical distribution of new and total confirmed and probable cases 7. The 16th Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council held on 8th September 2014 at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa took decisive decisions [Ext/EX.CL/Dec.1 (XVI)] on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak, focusing on a united, comprehensive and collective response to the EVD outbreak. The Executive Council requested the Commission to report on the progress of the African Union Support to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA) and the implementation of its decisions to the 26th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in January 2015. 8. Pursuant to the request of the Council, this report covers the implementation of the decisions of the 16 th Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council and progress on
Page 3 the AU Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA), as well as steps being taken by the Commission in strengthening the health systems of the affected countries in the post-ebola and the capacity of the continent to respond to health emergencies in future. B. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISIONS OF THE 16 TH EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE AU EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Travel Bans and Restrictions 9. The Executive Council requested the Commission to call upon Member states to urgently lift all travel bans and restrictions to respect the principle of free movement and urge that any travel related measures be in line with WHO and ICAO recommendations, in particular proper screening. 10. The Commission has issued Notes Verbale and at the monthly meetings of the PRC and the Peace and Security Council (PSC) pleaded with Member States to urgently lift all travel bans and restrictions in line with the decision of the Executive Council. Similarly, the Chairperson of the Commission had written to Heads of State and Government and at bilateral meetings with them emphasizing the need to lift al travel bans and restrictions. Nevertheless, some Member States still maintain travel bans and restrictions on the affected countries and their nationals. 11. Botswana, Cameroon, Cape-Verde, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, South Sudan, had travel bans on people from Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, DRC, and Nigeria. Mauritania and Senegal also closed borders with neighboring countries. At the time of this report, Senegal has promised to open its land and maritime boarders with Guinea. 12. Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe have stated that travellers coming from Ebola-affected countries (according to the World Health Organization [WHO]) would be monitored for 21 days and that travel to member countries for any gatherings would be discouraged. The SADC provided no details as to how member countries will carry out the associated screening and follow-up and it is likely that countries will have individual processes. There are also reports that some countries require health documentation for entry. 13. The Togo-based carrier Asky Airlines, Arik Air (Nigeria), Ethiopian Airlines, Gambia Bird, Kenya Airways and Senegal Airlines suspended flights to and from Guinea, Liberia Sierra Leone Conakry (Guinea). The Commission has engaged in dialogue with the CEO of these major African airlines and relevant government stakeholders to resume flights and has recorded modest achievements. 14. Some Member States have responded by lifting in part or total, restrictions placed on the movement of persons from the affection countries. For example, Côte d'ivoire has
Page 4 now lifted the ban on passenger flights to and from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone with the resumption of flights by Air Côte d'ivoire. 15. The African Union must continue to work on the issue of stigmatization which has shown no improvement since the Decisions of the Extraordinary Executive Council meeting of 8 th September 2014. Continued travel ban causes stigma, discrimination and poses a threat to the African integration, which the Union aspires to. Member States urged to contribute human, material, and financial resources to contain the spread of the virus 16. The Commission wishes to highlight the tremendous financial, material and human resources support that the Ebola response has received from Member States, who continue to show solidarity to the affected countries. Worthy of note is that ECOWAS Member States have contributed to the ECOWAS Solidarity Fund for Ebola. Botswana, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Namibia, and South Africa have either made financial and material support directly to the affected countries or through the Commission and the WHO. 17. The following Member States have contributed and or pledged medical personnel to the ASEOWA: Nigeria, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Namibia and Saharawi. With the support of the Member States, ASEOWA would have deployed about 1,000 health workers to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea by January 2015. The next section contains details of the contribution of medical personnel by Member States. 18. In addition, Nigeria and Uganda have offered their Ebola Treatment Centers in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Entebbe for the evacuation and treatment of all African Volunteer Health Workers infected in the course of their service with ASEOWA in the affected countries. 19. It should also be mentioned that funds from Member States sources were vital to the take-off of ASEOWA before the arrival of funds from Partners. They include US$100,000 from the AU Humanitarian Fund and US$300,000 from the Relief and Drought Fund was mobilized. 20. The Commission s Staff Association contributed US$100,000 to the ongoing ASEOWA efforts in the spirit of Africans helping Africans. Africa s Private Sector and International Partners Contribution to the Fight against Ebola 21. The Executive Council requested the Commission to work closely with Member states, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), International and regional Organizations, Africa s Partners, public sector and other relevant actors on the ground, with a view to mobilizing adequate resources to respond to the EVD crisis; in the spirit of Africa solidarity and global approach and in a very well-coordinated and transparent
Page 5 manner, including the sharing of information on commitments and contributions of the various partners. Africa s Private Sector 22. At the instance of the Chairperson of the Commission Her Excellency, Dr. Nkosazanna Dlamini Zuma, and support of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) the Commission organized a Business Roundtable on 8 November 2014 in Addis Ababa, bringing together captains of industries from the private sector to raise funds for the fight against the EVD in Africa. 23. At the Business Roundtable on Ebola held on 8 November 2014, the private sector pledged financial and other resources to enable a concerted push in the fight against Ebola, and the African Union undertook to fast-track and scale up the deployment of health workers from Member states. The fund raising event was tagged as "Africans helping Africans". A total of US$32.6 million was pledged at this event. The Commission is particular grateful to the following organizations for their generous contributions: 24. MTN Group (US$10 million); The Dangote Group and Trust (US$3 million); Econet Wireless (US$2.5 million); Motsepe Family Trust (US$1 million); Stenbeck Family (US$1 million); Afrexim Bank (US$1 million); Coca Cola Eurasia and Africa (US$1 million); Vitol Group of Companies and Vivo Energy (US$1 million); Quality Group of Tanzania (US$500,000); Old Mutual Group (US$500,000); Nedbank Group (US$500,000); Barclays Africa Group Limited (US$500,000); United Bank for Africa UBA (US$100,000) and the African Development Bank (US$10 million); In addition, these companies have put at the disposal of the Commission and ASEOWA, their assets on ground. 25. Since the Addis Ababa Roundtable, the Commission with the support of the private sector launched in Lagos, Nigeria on 3 December 2014 the Africa Against Ebola Campaign and the SMS short code 7979 (with the exception of Chad where it is 6969) in 42 African countries to raise at least US1 per subscriber wishing to contribute to the AU fight against Ebola. The Lagos event took place at the farewell for about 250 Nigerian Health Volunteers and it witnessed the donation of PPEs, cell phones and solar-powered lanterns for the use of ASEOWA Volunteers in addition to additional financial pledges to those made in Addis Ababa on 8 November 2014. The Chairperson has participated in the formal launching of the SMS sort code in other Member States such as Ethiopia and South Africa among others. 26. The creation of a facility/fund under the auspices of the African Union Foundation and managed by the African Development Bank, in which all Private sector donations and fundraising in support of this effort will be deposited. The funds channeled through this facility will be used to support an African medical corps, deployed in the framework of the African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA). The resources mobilized will be part of a medium to longer-term program including the
Page 6 establishment of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (African CDC) to build Africa s capacity to deal with such public health emergencies in the future. Development Partners 27. Development Partners such as China (US$2million), Norway (US$2million), Canada (US$50,000) Sweden (US$2million), Japan (US3million), USA (US$10Million); EU 5 million and Turkey (US$1million) have either pledged, redeemed in part or in full financial and human resources to ASEOWA. 28. The details of the financial pledges and contributions by Member States, the Private Sector and Development Partners are contained in the next section. 29. The Commission participates in weekly meeting of the Core Group for the Global Ebola Response Coalition (GERC) in order to ensure proper coordination among actors on the field, in particular with the UN Mission on Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). This platform has been instrumental for updates from all sides. 30. The Commission is also working with local partners in the affected countries in improving the food security situation by enhancing the capacity of local farmers. This package includes making available to these farmers with subsidies for agricultural inputs as well as trainings on food security. Facilitate the expansion of the mandate of the AU Special Emergency Assistance Fund for Drought and Famine in Africa to include public health emergencies and other calamities and Ensure the replenishment of the exhausted AU Special Emergency Assistance Fund for Drought and Famine in Africa 31. The Commission was requested to work out strategies for the replenishment of the exhausted AU Special Emergency Assistance Fund for Drought and Famine in Africa to continue to provide support to Member States and elaborate specific criteria for the Fund operations. 32. The Commission has commenced the review process of the current Terms of reference of the Special Emergency Assistance Fund for Drought and Famine (SEAF) in Africa to provide a holistic approach to emergencies in Africa. The PRC Sub-Committee on SEAF will consider the revised Terms of Reference at its next meeting in 2015. The Commission will also submit proposals for the replenishment of the Fund for the consideration of the PRC Sub-Committee. List of recommended economic and financial measures 33. The Commission was requested to prepare a list of recommended economic and financial measures which are to be adopted and implemented at national, regional and continental levels in solidarity with the directly affected countries as well as economic and financial measures the international community and institutions at large are called upon to consider and apply
Page 7 34. The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has prepared a report on the Socio-Economic Impacts of the Ebola Virus Disease on Africa. The 86-page report has been presented to the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and will also be presented to the Executive Council. 35. The Peace and Security Council at its 478 th meeting on 19 December 2014 considered the report by the ECA and requested it be harmonized by the tripartite AUC, UNECA and AfDB with a view to presenting the report to the Executive Council at its ordinary session in January 2015. Take all the necessary steps for the rapid establishment of an African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (African CDC) by mid- 2015 36. The Commission has taken concrete steps towards the establishment and functioning of the African CDC by mid-2015. A separate report is being submitted to the Assembly through the Executive Council. Engage with Media and Advocacy Groups 37. The Commission was requested to engage with media and advocacy groups, local communities, civil society organizations, social networks and other relevant actors on the ground to ensure proper communications about EVD to the general population and the international community at large. 38. The Commission has developed and is currently implementing a communications strategy with the following objectives: Enhance public awareness and define a clear narrative on AU s response to the Ebola epidemic; Popularize the visual identity of the AU and its ASEOWA mission; Strengthen internal communication and raise level of awareness among internal audiences; Contribute to resource mobilization. 39. On 5 December 2014, the Commission and UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) joined with the African Communications Agency (ACA) to host the 10 th Annual African International Media Summit (AIMS) under the theme "Mobilizing Media: Re-Writing The Narrative on Ebola Through Responsible and Coordinated Efforts". This strategic platform is expected to enhance capacity of journalists on the frontline of the EVD crisis in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and encourage positive messaging reporting on the untold stories and unsung African heroes in the battle against EVD. The platform is expected develop and implement effective strategies for media reporting, which may assist in re-writing the negative narrative. African journalist
Page 8 CAN report balanced stories of a developing continent attempting to act in solidarity, from government to grass roots, to defeat the deadly virus. B. PROGRESS ON THE AFRICAN UNION SUPPORT TO THE EBOLA OUTBREAK IN WEST AFRICA (ASEOWA) 40. The Peace and Security Council of the African Union, at its 450th meeting held in Addis Ababa, on 19 August 2014 invoked Article 6(f) relating to aspects of its mandate with regard to humanitarian action and disaster management and decided that given the emergency situation caused by the Ebola outbreak, to authorize the immediate deployment of an AU-led Military and Civilian Humanitarian Mission, comprising medical doctors, nurses and other medical and paramedical personnel, as well as military personnel, as required for the effectiveness and protection of the Mission. 41. The Commission immediately established a Strategic Taskforce led by the Department of Social Affairs and composed of Political Affairs, PSOD, Office of the Legal Counsel, DIC, Finance and AHRM. During the first 6 weeks, the Taskforce met daily and provided the strategic guidance and orientation for the Civil-Military Mission. Now it meets three times a week. It is also open to various humanitarian actors, UN Agencies and Partners. 42. The Commission deployed an assessment Team to Guinea Conakry, Liberia and Sierra Leone from 25 August to 5 September 2014. The assessment team presented a report with key findings and recommendations to guide the deployment of the ASEOWA mission. 43. Based on the report of the assessment team which detailed the huge human resource gap in the three most affected countries, the Commission put out a call for volunteers to be deployed to the affected countries and we acknowledge and appreciate the response from youth across Africa who immediately made themselves available to be deployed as volunteers. Worthy of mention were young people from Uganda, Rwanda, DRC, Congo, Nigeria and Ethiopia. The response by the youth to the Commission's call, has made it possible for the AUC to deploy 100 volunteers to the Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. This figure represents the initial target set for the ASEOWA when the AU response started. 44. The Commission has developed the Concept of Operations and Mission Support Concept for the Civil-Military Medical Mission-African Union Support to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA). The Concept of Operation (CONOPs) was initially designed for 100 medical personnel but has since been revised to accommodate up to 1000 medical personnel. According to the revised CONOPs the strategic objectives are: Strategic Objectives a) Enhance the capacity of existing national and international response mechanisms bymobilisation of political, financial support, technical expertise, and other resources;
Page 9 b) Complement the efforts of on-going humanitarian assistance and support the coordination efforts in order to maximize efficiency in the response; c) Advocacy to support public awareness and preventive measures across Africa and specifically in the affected region; d) Contribute to strengthening the health systems in the affected Member States. 45. From the strategic objectives, ASEOWA has a number of components ranging from mobilizing human resources required to strengthen technical capacities of countries to respond, mobilizing financial, logistical and administrative support to sustain its deployments, leveraging member states support and that of global actors for the implementation of short and medium term activities as well as post Ebola recovery plans for the creation of stronger and more resilient systems that would restore social economic and cultural fabric of the affected countries and beyond. The figure below indicates the major components of AU support to EVD. Figure II: Components of AU Support 46. The Commission developed a Communication Strategy that is currently being implemented with provision of public information on the response and advocacy communication in affected countries, Member States and the international community. The Communication Strategy took cognizance of the decision of the extraordinary
Page 10 session of the Executive Council on 8 September 2014 to engage with media and advocacy groups, local communities, civil society organizations, social networks and other relevant actors on the ground to ensure proper communications about EVD to the general population and the international community at large. 47. Major-General (Dr.) Julius Oketta of Uganda was appointed Head of Mission of ASEOWA. He arrived in Monrovia, Liberia on 15 September 2014, where the HQ of ASEOWA was established. ASEOWA has since deployed in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea with three Deputy Heads of Mission/Head of Team sites 48. Following the increasing demand for human resources for health as a critical need in responding to the EVD, the Commission continued to follow up with Member States in response to the request of the Executive Council Decision. 49. The Chairperson of the Commission wrote to all 54 Heads of State and Government on 13 October 2014 pleading and requesting that each Member State should provide at least 20 medical personnel to ASEOWA. This would immediately put 1080 medical personnel at the disposal of ASEOWA. 50. The following Member States have contributed and or pledged medical personnel to ASEOWA: Nigeria, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Namibia and Saharawi. 51. As at 31 December 2014, ASEOWA has deployed to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, a total of 666 Volunteers including 115 from ECOWAS deployed under ASEOWA and 912 by mid-january 2015. With the support of the Member States, the Commission will be able to meet the target of deploying about 1,000 health workers to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea by the end of January 2015. Table I: ASEOWA Deployments Origin Guinea Sierra Leone Liberia TOTAL ASEOWA volunteers 1 21 32 33 86 Nigeria corps 0 110 86 196 ECOWAS 2 49 27 39 115 Ethiopia 0 101 86 187 DRC 81 0 0 81 TOTAL 151 270 244 665 Kenya 0?? 197 3 ASEOWA Volunteers 4??? 50 By 15 Jan 2015??? 912 1 Volunteers are from the following countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. 2 ECOWAS corps includes personnel from Benin, Cote D Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. ECOWAS is yet to deploy in Sierra and Guinea. Mali has withdrawn its members of the ECOWAS Corps because they are needed at home. 3 Deployment of Kenyan Volunteers will be on 9 January 2015. Countries of deployment will be in due course. 4 Volunteers recruited on individual basis from all African countries, based on specific skills needs in the three countries, and to replace workers whose deployment cycle came to an end and based on demand. Countries of deployment will be in due course.
Page 11 52. Discussions have begun for the deployment of Ugandan and Namibian Corps to follow immediately. The number and exact date of deployment are yet to be agreed. During January 2015, the Commission shall explore with other Member States that have pledged (Rwanda, Burundi, Saharawi, etc.) deployments from these countries. Also, in January 2015, the Commission shall deploy up to 50 volunteers who are recruited directly and not part of those on secondment/contributed by Member States. ASEOWA Deployment Cycle 53. The ASEOWA revised CONOPs envisages having up to 1000 health workers in the field, on a rotational basis over a six month period (December 2014-May 2015), to be assessed based on whether the affected countries are declared Ebola free. The ASEOWA deployment cycle is divided into three stages: Pre-deployment, Deployment and Exit or Rotation, as illustrated below with the activities in each stage. Figure III: ASEOWA Deployment Cycle ASEOWA Deployments in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone 54. ASEOWA teams are deployed on the ground by the government Ebola incident management undertake to support the following six pillars of the response as adopted by the countries: Case Management Logistics management Surveillance and Contact Tracing Communication and information
Page 12 Social mobilization Psychosocial Care Figure IV: Pillars of Response by ASEOWA 55. In-country deployments are done by the ASEOWA mission operational structure, headed by General (Dr.) Julius Oketta as Head of Mission, and with a deputy head of mission in each of the three countries. The ASEOWA mission headquarters is in Monrovia, Liberia. The ASEOWA operational structure is embedded with the national Ministries of Health on deployment needs, and liaises with the UN, WHO, US CDC, MSF and other organizations working in country. 56. As at 31 December 2014, ASEOWA deployments are as follow: 57. Liberia: ASEOWA epidemiologist deployed in seven districts alongside with CDC and WHO to visit villages, set up surveillance, contact tracing, participate in suspect removal and dead bodies removal. ASEOWA is also responsible for the100-bed ETU, MOD1 in Monrovia since 29th October, together with the Cuban team and the Ministry of Health of Liberia. ASEOWA medical doctors are deployed to assist the Liberian health sector in treating other non-ebola diseases and to re-start the JFK national hospital in an infection-free environment. The JFK hospital was closed down due to Ebola contamination With the arrival more HCW, ASEOWA is being given another ETU and to restart more hospitals that were closed down as a result of Ebola. 58. Sierra Leone: ASEOWA team deployed in Bombali District, Port Loko and other parts of Northern and Western Sierra Leone, with reported new cases and no major medical responses. The team is divided into three sub-teams:
Page 13 Epidemiologists: working alongside MoH and CDC personnel in 5 groups, conducting surveillance, contact tracing, blood test of suspect and body management; Clinicians: man the UK ETU together with MoH and UK personnel; ASEOWA s 6-person Lab Team operates its own Mobile Laboratory with support of WHO; Also ASEOWA Laboratory technicians: work in the Russian, UK ETU and mobile laboratory 59. Also, ASEOWA has been requested to man the second ETU near the Guinea and Sierra Leone boarder in Koinadugu and the ASEOWA advance team deployment was done. Similarly, the Government has requested ASEOWA to support the re-opening and operations of public health structures. ASEOWA has provided the staff to support this process and the training Sierra Leonean Health Workers. For example, at the Bombali ETU, ASEOWA is retraining about 245 Nurses in managing the ETU and case management. The target is to strengthen the capacity of the local Nurses by retraining about 1,560 in the region. 60. Guinea: Mapping conducted under WHO guiding principles. The ASEOWA Health Workers deployed to Guinea have started work in different parts of the country after undergoing training of trainers in Monrovia. The 81 personnel from the DRC that arrived on December 26 are being deployed by the Guinean National Coordination Center to work in ETUs and contact tracing. They will also be involved in the training of Guinean health workers to be engaged by ASEOWA. 61. The Commission continues to mobilize health workers from all over the continent through professional networks and direct appeal. The Commission is receiving responses from individual epidemiologist, nurses, doctors, different categories of health workers as well as from the Diaspora. The response from African young people has been tremendous. 62. There has been remarkable international support in providing infrastructure, financial and equipment such as Ebola Treatment Units (ETU), Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), Mobile Laboratories, etc. to fight the disease through the ASEOWA. In this regard, the Commission is grateful to the government of Canada, the USA, China, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the European Union. Financial & Budget Support for ASEOWA Budget Support 63. When ASEOWA was established in August 2014, the initial budget to support 100 volunteers was estimated at US$35 million. In the revised CONOPs with 1000 volunteers and expanded functions to help restart the health system in an infection-free
Page 14 environment, the total revised budget is US$131,314,963.69. By 20 December 2014, the Commission has been able to mobilize about US$54.8 million plus 5 million from Member States, Partners and Africa s Private Sector with a funding gap of more than US$70 million. 64. As at 20 December 2014, the Commission has received a total of US$12,799, 563.23 from pledges made by Member States and Developments Partners. Of this amount, a total of US$8,996, 648.58 is expenditure leaving a balance of US$3,802,914.66. It is to be mentioned that some of the Partners fund are earmarked for specific purposes, hence the balance in the book. In reality there is a huge gap between the budget and the actual amounts so far pledged and received. The details are contained in the Tables II, III & IV below. Table II: Fund Balance Summary FY2014 Cash Received from Developing Partners and MS as at 20th December 2014 US$ 12,799,563.23 Expenditure incurred up to 20th December 2014 (8,996,648.58) Resources Mobilization Fund Balance 3,802,914.65 65. The Commission continues to mobilize financial resources for the sustenance of the deployed healthcare worker volunteers through provision of allowances, accommodation, meals and medical and health insurance. Procurement of requisite equipment and supplies to facilitate and sustain the work of the volunteers in the field has also been at the core of ASEOWAs strategic headquarters resource mobilisation strategy. Funds have been mobilised from various stakeholders including, AU Member States, AU Staff Association, African Private Sector and Development Partners. AU Member States and AU Staff 66. The Commission wishes to highlight the tremendous financial, material and human resources support that the Ebola response has received from Member States, who continue to show solidarity to the affected countries. Worthy of note is that the ECOWAS Member States have contributed to the ECOWAS Solidarity Fund for Ebola. Botswana ($200,000), Egypt (material support to the affected countries), Equatorial Guinea ($200,000 through WHO), Kenya ($1 million to the affected countries), Namibia ($1 million to AUC), and South Africa (material support to the affected countries have either made financial and material support directly to the affected countries or through the Commission and the WHO as indicated above. 67. Table III below reflects the financial contributions made directly to the Commission to support ASEOWA.
Page 15 Table III: Financial Contributions made to the Commission Country Amount Pledged Amount Redeemed* Botswana US$ 200,000 US$170,700 Namibia US1 million US$1 million AU Humanitarian Fund US$ 100,000 US$ 100,000 AU Relief and Drought Fund with US$ 300,000 US$ 299,994 AfDB AU Staff Association US$ 100,000 US$ 100,000 TOTAL US$ 1.7 million U$1.670694 million *Actual amount credited to AUC Account after deduction of Bank charges Development Partners 68. Development Partners including Sweden, USA, China, Norway and the European Commission (EC), have pledged and redeemed as follows: Table IV: Financial Contributions by Development Partners Development Amount Pledged Amount Redeemed* Partner/Country USA US$10 million US$1 million China US$2 million US$2 million Sweden US$2.7 million US$2,640799.86 million Norway US$2.75 million US$2,559,413.72 million European Union 5 million US$2,928,655.65 million Canada US$50,000 NIL Japan US$ 3million NIL Turkey US$1 million NIL TOTAL US$20.05 million + 5million US$11,128,869.23 million * Actual amount credited to AUC Account after deduction of Bank charges Table V reflects the pledges and contributions by ECOWAS Member States to the ECOWAS Solidarity Fund Table V: ECOWAS Solidarity Fund for Ebola Country Amount Pledged Amount Redeemed Benin US$400,000 Burkina Faso 70M CFA Francs (US$150,000) Cape Verde US$ Cote d Ivoire US$ 1 million US$1 million Gambia US$500,000 US$500,000 Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Liberia Mali US$ 200,000 Niger 100M CFA (US$200,000) Nigeria US$4.5 million US$3.5million Senegal US$ 1 million Sierra Leone US$250,000 Togo UEMOA - the CFA US$ 4.5 million ($1.5million each for US4.5 million Franc Monetary the affected countries) Union TOTAL US$ US$
Page 16 Africa s Private Sector 69. Table V below is the list of Companies that have pledged and put at the disposal of the Commission and ASEOWA, their assets on ground: Table V: Pledges by the Africa s Private Sector Company Amount Pledged Amount Redeemed MTN Group US$10 million Dangote Group & Trust US$ 3 million Econet Wireless US$ 2.5 million Motsepe Family Trust US$ 1 million Stenbeck Family US$ 1 million Afrexim Bank US$1 million Coca Cola Eurasia & Africa US$1 million Vitol Group of Companies and Vivo Energy US$1 million Old Mutual Group US$500,000 Ned Bank Group US$500,000 Barclays Africa Group US$500,000 Quality Group of Tanzania US$500,000 United Bank for Africa (UBA) US$100,000 to African Development Bank (AfDB) US$10 million TOTAL US$32.6 million Stop Ebola SMS Campaign 70. In addition to their financial contributions, the Telecom Operators have come together to launch the SMS short code campaign to raise funds to support AU efforts and ASEOWA. The campaign aims to involve African citizens to contribute in the fight against the epidemic and mobilize citizens across the continent to contribute to the fight against Ebola by texting STOP EBOLA to the designated same country code 7979 (with the exception of Chad where it is 6969) and donating up to US$ 1. The funds raised will be used for scaling up the deployment of more healthcare volunteers. Table VI: Mobile operators participating in the Africa against Ebola Solidarity SMS campaign by country Countries Operators Short Code Benin Etisalat, MTN 7979 Botswana MTN, Orange 7979 Burkina Faso Airtel, Etisalat 7979 Burundi Econet 7979 Cameroon MTN, Orange 7979 Central African Republic Econet, Etisalat, Orange 7979 Chad Airtel, Millicom 6969 Cote D'Ivoire Etisalat, MTN, Orange 7979 Democratic Republic of Congo Airtel, Millicom, Vodacom, Orange 7979 Republic of the Congo Airtel, MTN, Orange 7979 Egypt Orange 7979 Ethiopia ET 7979
Page 17 Gabon Airtel, Etisalat 7979 Ghana Airtel, Millicom, MTN, Vodafone 7979 Guinea MTN, Orange 7979 Guinea-Bissau MTN, Orange 7979 Kenya Airtel, MTN, Safaricom, Orange 7979 Lesotho Econet, Vodacom 7979 Liberia MTN 7979 Madagascar Airtel, Orange 7979 Malawi Airtel 7979 Mali Etisalat, Orange 7979 Mauritania Etisalat 7979 Mauritius Orange 7979 Morocco Etisalat, Orange 7979 Mozambique Vodacom 7979 Namibia MTN 7979 Niger Airtel, Etisalat, Orange 7979 Nigeria Airtel, Econet, Etisalat, MTN 7979 Rwanda Airtel, Millicom, MTN 7979 Senegal Millicom, Orange 7979 Seychelles Airtel 7979 Sierra Leone Airtel 7979 South Africa Econet, MTN, Vodacom 7979 Sudan Etisalat, MTN 7979 Swaziland MTN 7979 Tanzania Airtel, Etisalat (Zantel), Millicom, Vodacom 7979 Togo Etisalat 7979 Tunisia Orange 7979 Uganda Airtel, MTN, 7979 Zambia Airtel, MTN 7979 Zimbabwe Econet 7979 C. STRENGTHENING THE HEALTH SYSTEMS OF THE AFFECTED COUNTRIES AND THE OVERALL CAPACITY OF THE CONTINENT TO RESPOND TO OTHER HEALTH EMERGENCIES, POST THE EVD 71. In the revised CONOPs, ASEOWA will contribute to the restarting the health care system in an infection-free environment of the affected countries in the context of the ongoing efforts at stopping the EVD. It is in this context that the Government of Liberia has requested ASEOWA to help restart the JFK Hospital in Monrovia that was closed down due to the EVD. 72. The Commission is putting in place a medium to long term program including the establishment of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (African CDC) in 2015 to build Africa s capacity to deal with public health emergencies and threats in the future. A separate report on the establishment of the African CDC is being submitted to the Executive Council. The Commission will also in due course submit proposals for the transformation of ASEOWA to form the core of African Health Volunteer Corps that could be quickly mobilized in future to respond to health emergencies on the continent.
Page 18 D. CONCLUSIONS 73. The EVD outbreak continues to impact on the socio economic, political and cultural fabric of not just the affected countries but the entire continent. It has tested our resolve and resilience as Africans and as a continent. It has put to test our unity, solidarity and the integration project of the Union. Africa s young women and men rose to the occasion while Member States were hesitant and answered the call of the Commission for volunteers to go and help our brothers and sisters in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. These young people are performing heroic services on the frontline of Ebola. The Commission expresses its profound appreciation to these young people and invites the Assembly to do the same through a special declaration acknowledging the role of the young people of the continent in the fight against Ebola. 74. After the initial stumbling we have rediscovered ourselves and we are now rising to the occasion. There is still a lot to be done. All restrictions and travel bans placed on the Ebola-affected countries and their people must be removed. There must be an end to all forms of stigmatization. It is Ebola that should be isolated and not the affected countries and their people. The Assembly, while acknowledging and appreciating the support and solidarity expressed by the Member States, is invited to make a pronouncement on the lifting of all restrictions and end to stigmatization. 75. In spite of the significant progress made after international intervention including AU s ASEOWA and related actions, there is still need to further strengthen, coordinate, and focus all efforts on halting the spread of Ebola while mitigating its impact. The EVD outbreak has exposed the fragile and weak health system of many African countries and the need to be prepared for future threats to public health. Uganda, the DRC and now Nigeria and Senegal have demonstrated that Ebola can be defeated with adequate preparations and strong political leadership during the period of emergency. These countries are invited to share their experiences with the Assembly. 76. In addition, the Assembly is invited to endorse the key role of the Commission in coordinating the African response through ASEOWA and galvanizing the support of the international community. The role of the Development Partners in the provision of financial and material support to the affected countries and to the Commission should be acknowledged. 77. Building of more resilient and sustainable health systems will remain at the core of AU s medium to long term post-ebola plan and strategy. The Commission will continue to facilitate the strengthening of the capacity of Member States to effectively implement the International Health Regulations (2005) and be able to be adequately prepared for future threats to public health. It is in this context that the Assembly is invited to consider and approve the plan being submitted by the Commission for the establishment and take-off of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (African CDC) in 2015.
Annex ADDENDUM TO THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON THE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE (EVD) AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISIONS OF THE 16 TH EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ON EBOLA
AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE UNIÃO AFRICANA Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: 011-551 7700 Fax: 011-551 7844 website : www.au.int EX.CL/867(XXVI) Addendum ADDENDUM TO THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON THE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE (EVD) AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISIONS OF THE 16 TH EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ON EBOLA JANUARY 2015
EX.CL/867(XXVI) Addendum Page 1 ASEOWA DEPLOYMENTS Table I: ASEOWA Deployments- as at 22 January 2015. Origin Guinea Sierra Leone Liberia TOTAL Direct Volunteers 5 21 32 33 86 Nigeria 0 110 86 196 Ethiopia 0 101 86 187 DRC 81 0 0 81 Kenya 0 75 95 170 TOTAL 102 318 300 720* ECOWAS 6 49 27 39 115 Total + ECOWAS 151 345 339 835 * This number does not include the locally recruited ASEOWA volunteers in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea The deployment of about 40 South African volunteers is scheduled for the first week of February 2015. The process of engaging about 300 local volunteers in Guinea is in the final stages. The Commission is on track to meet the target of scaling up to 1000. Financial Support to Affected Countries Update Mauritania has donated a total of US$1.2 million with the following breakdown: Liberia US$400,000; Guinea US$400,000; and Sierra Leone US$400,000 Financial & Budget Support for ASEOWA Resource Mobilization Table IV: Financial Contributions by Development Partners Update Development Amount Pledged Amount Redeemed* Partner/Country USA US$10 million US$4 million China US$2 million US$2 million Sweden US$2.7 million US$2,640799.86 million Norway US$2.75 million US$2,559,413.72 million European Union 5 million US$2,928,655.65 million Canada US$50,000 NIL Japan US$ 3million NIL Turkey US$1 million NIL TOTAL US$20.05 million + 5million US$14,128,869.23 million 5 These are individual Volunteers that responded to the call of the AUC in August and September 2014 and are not on secondment from Member States. They are from the following countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. 6 ECOWAS corps includes personnel from Benin, Cote D Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. Mali has withdrawn its members of the ECOWAS Corps because they are needed at home.
EX.CL/867(XXVI) Addendum Page 2 * Actual amount credited to AUC Account after deduction of Bank charges Table V: ECOWAS Solidarity Fund for Ebola Update Country Amount Pledged Amount Redeemed Benin US$400,000 Burkina Faso 70M CFA Francs (US$150,000) Cape Verde US$ Cote d Ivoire US$ 1 million US$1 million Gambia US$500,000 US$500,000 Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Liberia Mali US$ 200,000 Niger 100M CFA (US$200,000) 100M CFA (US$200,000) Nigeria US$4.5 million US$3.5million Senegal US$ 1 million Sierra Leone US$250,000 Togo UEMOA - the CFA US$ 4.5 million ($1.5million each for US4.5 million Franc Monetary Union the affected countries) TOTAL US$ US$ Africa s Private Sector Table V: Pledges by the Africa s Private Sector Update Company Amount Pledged Amount Redeemed MTN Group US$10 million US$10 million Dangote Group & Trust US$ 3 million US$3 million Econet Wireless US$ 2.5 million US$ 2.5 million Motsepe Family Trust US$ 1 million US$ 1 million Stenbeck Family US$ 1 million US$ 1 million Afrexim Bank US$1 million Coca Cola Eurasia & Africa US$1 million Vitol Group of Companies and US$1 million Vivo Energy Old Mutual Group US$500,000 US$500,000 Ned Bank Group US$500,000 Barclays Africa Group US$500,000 US$500,000 Quality Group of Tanzania US$500,000 US$500,000 United Bank for Africa (UBA) US$100,000 to African Development Bank US$10 million (AfDB) TOTAL US$32.6 million US$19 million