The Ebola virus epidemic is fast spreading in some West African countries and has reached unprecedented levels in Guinea where the toll has risen to 1505 cases, including 854 deaths. The number of new cases per week has more than doubled since September and if the trend continues there will be 500 new cases in December, projections suggesting an ever-growing spread of the infection.
We cannot ignore that the crisis has humanitarian, economic, societal and security aspects. This is why European countries need to scale up their strategies.
Together with its British, German and other European partners, France is playing its full part in the fight against Ebola and has set itself three main objectives: combating Ebola in Guinea, increasing efforts in West Africa and further enhancing the international mobilisation.
The French plan to combat Ebola in Guinea relies on three areas of action.
First, it is critical to identify skilled and protected human resources. Local healthcare recruits are key to the Ebola response system.
In Guinea, it consists in opening local training centres for healthcare and other workers. It is crucial to provide structured training programmes to ensure a recruitment pool and lower the secondary infection risks.
A total of 120 members of Civil Security and the military health service, organised in dedicated centres in France and Guinea, are training local healthcare. At the same time, France is building a treatment centre for healthcare workers in Conakry.
Medical treatment for Guinean staff members infected while administrating treatment is crucial to persuade local recruits to work in healthcare.
Secondly, France is also contributing to provide high-level diagnosis resources.
It strongly supports the creation of a Pasteur Institute in Guinea for diagnosis and training.
It involves deployment of healthcare personnel and experts to assist the existing Guinean structures with treatment patients and boost laboratory capacities.
France also contributes to set up three Ebola Treatment Centres out of the 10 the Guinean government plans to open.
Finally, it is important to have enhanced coordination in Ebola response, including through experience and knowledge sharing with the Guinean government.
French civil protection personnel are providing training courses for Guinea’s civil protection. France is also committed to strengthen primary healthcare in Guinea’s forest region and to address the humanitarian and economic challenges through a WFP contribution.
In order to minimise the disease spread, France is participating in more rigorous controls of departures from Conakry airport.
Stopping the Ebola epidemic requires efforts in the whole West African region.
Efforts must not be concentrated in Guinea only.
If we want to decrease the Ebola disease epidemic it is essential to raise awareness among populations
All West Africa is concerned by the Ebola crisis and France is committed to support Guinea’s neighbouring countries.
We contribute to strengthen Liberia’s health system, provide financial contributions to combat the virus in Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon as well as assist laboratories in seven West African countries, namely, Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo, for a global amount of €100 million.
If we want to decrease the Ebola disease epidemic it is essential to raise awareness among populations. People must be informed about channels of contamination and symptoms. More importantly, they need to be aware of how to preserve themselves, their families and friends. As the radio seems to be the most efficient instrument of communication and prevention, France actively supports local radio stations in six African countries - Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal and Togo.
France is mobilised within international coordination structures. It initiated Europe’s mobilisation at a meeting in Brussels on September 15. It took the lead for enhanced international cooperation; the outcome document has adopted the French proposal to establish a new European mechanism to coordinate medical evacuation and hospitalisation of international humanitarian staff.
Now, France is providing, together with its European partners, Ebola-infected healthcare workers the possibility of evacuation for health purpose. In addition, France helps to strengthen controls of passengers leaving the contaminated area in cooperation with the CDC of Atlanta and WHO.
France is committed in international coordination structures. It sent experts to United Nations and European Commission teams. From a financial perspective, it has offered an exceptional contribution to WHO. It also participates in funding of institutions involved with combating Ebola – the World Bank, the European Commission and the African Development Bank.
Michel Vandepoorter is Ambassador of France in Malta.