African Union emergency Ebola meeting |16 September 2014

We must be prepared, says Seychelles

Seychelles has called for the acceleration of the establishment of an African Centre for Disease Control as central to boosting Africa’s scientific capabilities in fighting diseases like the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa and provide rapid response capabilities.

Speaking at the African Union Emergency Meeting of the Executive Council on Ebola being convened in Addis Ababa on September 8, Ambassador Joseph Nourrice, Seychelles’ Permanent Representative to the African Union, said “we must not allow ourselves to be taken by surprise again”.

When addressing the gathering of African ministers, Ambassador Nourrice called for solidarity on the continent adding, “Ebola is not only a health issue but a serious threat to our economies, development and to the lives and livelihood of many communities.”

The Ambassador, who is also the Resident Ambassador to Ethiopia, further explained the recent decision by the Seychelles Department of Immigration to impose temporary entry visas on Western African travellers as a preventative measure as part of a national surveillance strategy to assess and detect risks of transmission.

The gathering at the African Union has been convened to discuss the African response to the outbreak and develop a common policy as well as discuss other measures such as the mobilisation of emergency funds and encourages country responses to the call for support in terms of medical personnel and supplies.

Ambassador Nourrice headed the Seychelles delegation on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean-Paul Adam, who was unable to attend the emergency meeting due to prior commitments.

Amanda Bernstein, principal counsellor for the Seychelles Embassy in Addis Ababa, accompanied the Ambassador.