http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/health/2279-conference-to-rebuild-health-systems-in-countries-devastated-by-ebola-held-in-washington
Conference
to Rebuild Health Systems in Countries Devastated by Ebola Held in Washington
Washington,
D.C. - A
conference, organized by several non-governmental organizations to review the
current state of national and international efforts to assist in rebuilding the
healthcare delivery systems, environment management, and develop emergency
preparedness in countries of the Mano River Union (MRU) worst affected by the
Ebola epidemic, took place recently in Silver Spring, Maryland, outside
Washington, DC, USA.
The “International Conference on
Post Ebola Capacity Building for the Mano River Union” brought together an
array of professional experts in health science, environmental, disaster and
emergency management response, education, as well as private and public sector
leaders, and the MRU Diaspora Community, among others.
The goal of the impressive
conference was to discuss lessons learned from the Ebola epidemic, assess the
state of post-Ebola initiatives in the three worst affected countries, identify
specific needs, seek and lobby for continuous international help to sustain the
MRU countries.
The conference, held October 6,
2016, was organized by the U.S. State of Maryland and Liberia Sister States
Committee (MLSSC), Africa Environmental Watch (AEW), International Medical
Corps (IMC), and Help Africa (HA).
Diplomats from the embassies of
three MRU countries – Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, also attended the
conference, which convened several panels on Medicine, Environment, Education,
Disaster Response, Maritime, Empowering the Disables, and uniting the African
Diaspora to support sustainable development in Africa.
In welcome remarks, Ms. Sheila
Durant, a lawyer who is chair of the MLSSC, underscored the commitment of her
organization to continue to deepen the relationship between the U.S. State of
Maryland and Liberia, including support to Liberia in education and other areas
of need. She added that the purpose of the conference was to bring the MRU
Diaspora and interested partners together to deliberate on how to assist in the
process of establishing a better healthcare systems in Africa, especially the
MRU countries such as Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, which were worst
affected by the Ebola epidemic.
The Sister State Program
Agreement, signed between the State of Maryland, USA and Bong County and
Maryland County of Liberia in 2007, is to enhance the many opportunities for
cooperation in business and industry, arts and culture, education, and also to build
long-term relationships, promote commercial cooperation and develop joint
program of exchange in the areas indicated.
Earlier in opening remarks,
environmental activist and engineer Morris T. Koffa, Executive Director of
Africa Environmental Watch, who served as Conference Chair, said the conference
was intended to bring together professionals of diverse background to
deliberate on efforts that must be made to sustain progress in rebuilding the
health systems and establish effective emergency preparedness in the MRU
countries.
Delivering the keynote address,
Mr. Melvin Foote, President, Constituency For Africa (CFA), a leading Africa
advocacy organization in Washington, assured that the CFA will continue to
strongly advocate for the establishment of the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) in Africa so as to undertake medical research and respond promptly to
health emergencies that may arise in Africa.
The noted American activist in
the cause of Africa expressed the need for the African Diaspora to organize and
be pro-active in advocating for solutions to Africa’s problems. He added
that there is a lot that the African Diaspora in the United States can achieve
on behalf of the continent by organizing around specific goals and programs and
using their expertise and collective resources.
Deputizing for Liberia’s
Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Jeremiah C. Sulunteh, Hon. Gabriel I H
Williams, Minister Counselor for Press and Public Affairs at the Embassy of
Liberia, indicated that the Government and people of Liberia welcome the
initiatives the various organizations are undertaking to strongly advocate for
international support to ensure sustainable progress in the MRU.
Hon. Williams said Liberia is
faced with serious medical challenges due to inadequate capacity of its
healthcare system. He mentioned what is reported to by an alarming rise
in hypertension (commonly known as high blood pressure in Liberia), which has
caused the lives of many young and abled body Liberians, especially professionals
and leaders of diverse background, who were breadwinners for their families.
Hon. Williams called on the
medical experts and groups to consider the need for serious medical
intervention in the areas of hypertension and mental health, which have become
grave health challenges since the end of the Liberian civil upheaval.
Among the several panel
groups that made presentation at the conference was a panel on Medicine under
the title, Healthcare: the Path to Sustainable Growth/Saving Lives Through
Medicine.
This panel included medical
doctors who are originated from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The
co-facilitator of the Panel on Medicine was Ms. Luana Kiandoli, a lifelong
advocate in the US for the improvement of Liberia’s healthcare. She is a
specialist in tropical disease and establishment of medical laboratories and
has taught graduate medical education.
Mr. Charles Sharpe, a retired US
Air Force Inspector General and founder and CEO of the Black Emergency Managers
Association (BEMA), one of the speakers at the conference, stressed the need
for a robust disaster and emergency management preparedness in the MRU and
Africa by extension to help reduce the risk and impact of potential
catastrophic events.
Dealing with the topic,
Maritime: Clean Ocean Program and Port Security, Mr. Harry T. Conway, Alternate
Representative of Liberia to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and
Mr. Gerald F. B. Cooper, President, Maritime Cooper Associates, Inc., discussed
programs and policies being undertaken by the Liberian Government and the
international community to ensure global maritime safety and environmental
protection, among others.
On Education, Dr. Barbara
Simmons, who serves as Inaugural Dean of International Education and Associate
Professor at the William V.S. Tubman University in Maryland County, Liberia,
spoke on the importance of education and Tubman University’s role in building
capacity.
Representatives of Morgan State
University in Baltimore, which has a MOU in education partnership with Tubman
University under the Maryland and Liberia Sister States relationship, and the
University of Maryland Eastern Shore, also participated in the conference.
