The Directorate of Information and Communication (DIC) of the African Union Commission (AUC) was leading the team of Press Attaches and focal persons in Communication at AU Member State Embassies in Addis Ababa who gathered in Freetown, Sierra Leone within the framework of the annual pre-summit workshop to exchange views on the implementation of the AU Communication, Advocacy and Marketing Strategy 2014-2017, in view to popularize the 27th AU Summit and Agenda 2063 at national, regional and continental levels.

"The second phase of the workshop was to give a humanitarian touch by visiting some Ebola Centers after the continent has been declared Ebola free by the World Health Organisation (WHO)" underlined Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou, Ag. Director of Information and Communication of the AUC. She informed the Senior Medical Officials during the visit that the delegation from the AU headquarters decided to undertake the visit to the Ebola centers because of the important role the African Union played to stand as one in support of the Ebola affected countries including the fact that the AU Commission at very short notice was able to mobilize its Member States who responded to the call of the AU Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to fight against the deadly disease. "We could not have come to this auspicious beautiful country without seeing for ourselves the tremendous work done by the African health workers in the Republic of Sierra Leone, with the support of partner organizations such as the African Union in the fight against Ebola". Noted the DIC Ag. Director. She added that reaching out to the grassroots population and interacting with the people nation-wide is also a way of communicating the messages and vision of the AU Commission in line with Agenda 2063, for "The Africa We Want… a better place for all Africans". Speaking on behalf of the AU delegation, Mrs. Esther Azaa reminded the hospital staff about the medical background of the AUC Chairperson and how she was very preoccupied by the devastating effect of the Ebola crisis in the continent. She said Dr. Dlamini Zuma was very touched by the resilience of the people in the affected countries in fighting against the epidemics and how she devoted herself to ensuring that all hands were put on deck to eradicate the Ebola completely in Africa. On behalf of the AUC Chairperson, Mrs. Esther Azaa commended the staff of the 34 Military Hospital for their relentless efforts and commitment in fighting the deadly disease. She said in line with aspiration 1 of Agenda 2063; a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development, the AUC leadership is determine to strongly encourage the spirit of solidarity among the AU Member countries when faced with such calamities on the continent.

Worth noting the 34 Military Hospital in Free Town was one of the major centers to receive and treat Ebola patients therefore it played a pivotal role in the number of survival cases reported in the country.

The visit to the Ebola center did not only create impact but also enabled the Press Attaches to gather information about the post Ebola and investment opportunities in Sierra Leone so that the information is widely popularized to attract African businessmen and enhance intra-African trade.

Dr. Ali Wurie, the Case Management Head at the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitization (MHS) welcomed the AU delegation during the site visit and lauded the initiative to couple such an important workshop with a visit to the Ebola Center. He explained that, the Military hospital in close collaboration with the (Medecins san Frontiere) MHS had set up 25 treatment centers and 55 isolation units in the clinic and that due to the large number of treatment centers the virus was contained .

On the African involvement Dr. Wurie recognized the role of the African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA). He said the experienced African Union Member States health workers quickly assimilated with the teams that were already on ground. According to Dr. Wurie a post Ebola research laboratory has been set up in Sierra Leone and is now equipped with a pool of experienced health workers to prevent future outbreaks. He announced that the Sierra Leonean Government is currently working on a vaccine and that four vaccine trials are ongoing in the country" he indicated.

Col. Dr. Foday Sahr commanding Officer of the Joint Medical Unit, said the military was involved in all aspects of the of the fight against the virus including treatments and quarantine, as such they witnessed the largest survival scaling at the hospital . "We are now looking at the post Ebola response and mechanisms by engaging into advance research and learning to ensure that we are better prepared in case of future outbreaks of any viral disease or epidemics" concluded the Colonel.

The team of AU Press Attaches also visited the doctor's quarters, the isolation wards and the EVD survival clinic during the guided tour.

The Bureau of the AUC Chairperson was represented by Mrs. Christiane Matondo, Principal Communication Officer, who appreciated the positive impact of the visit of the AU delegation to the Ebola Centers in Sierra Leone as part of the agenda of the pre-summit workshop of Press Attaches at AU Embassies based in Addis Ababa.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of African Union Commission (AUC).

The Directorate of Information and Communication (DIC) of the African Union Commission (AUC) was leading the team of Press Attaches and focal persons in Communication at AU Member State Embassies in Addis Ababa who gathered in Freetown, Sierra Leone within the framework of the annual pre-summit workshop to exchange views on the implementation of the AU Communication, Advocacy and Marketing Strategy 2014-2017, in view to popularize the 27th AU Summit and Agenda 2063 at national, regional and continental levels.

"The second phase of the workshop was to give a humanitarian touch by visiting some Ebola Centers after the continent has been declared Ebola free by the World Health Organisation (WHO)" underlined Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou, Ag. Director of Information and Communication of the AUC. She informed the Senior Medical Officials during the visit that the delegation from the AU headquarters decided to undertake the visit to the Ebola centers because of the important role the African Union played to stand as one in support of the Ebola affected countries including the fact that the AU Commission at very short notice was able to mobilize its Member States who responded to the call of the AU Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to fight against the deadly disease. "We could not have come to this auspicious beautiful country without seeing for ourselves the tremendous work done by the African health workers in the Republic of Sierra Leone, with the support of partner organizations such as the African Union in the fight against Ebola". Noted the DIC Ag. Director. She added that reaching out to the grassroots population and interacting with the people nation-wide is also a way of communicating the messages and vision of the AU Commission in line with Agenda 2063, for "The Africa We Want… a better place for all Africans". Speaking on behalf of the AU delegation, Mrs. Esther Azaa reminded the hospital staff about the medical background of the AUC Chairperson and how she was very preoccupied by the devastating effect of the Ebola crisis in the continent. She said Dr. Dlamini Zuma was very touched by the resilience of the people in the affected countries in fighting against the epidemics and how she devoted herself to ensuring that all hands were put on deck to eradicate the Ebola completely in Africa. On behalf of the AUC Chairperson, Mrs. Esther Azaa commended the staff of the 34 Military Hospital for their relentless efforts and commitment in fighting the deadly disease. She said in line with aspiration 1 of Agenda 2063; a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development, the AUC leadership is determine to strongly encourage the spirit of solidarity among the AU Member countries when faced with such calamities on the continent.

Worth noting the 34 Military Hospital in Free Town was one of the major centers to receive and treat Ebola patients therefore it played a pivotal role in the number of survival cases reported in the country.

The visit to the Ebola center did not only create impact but also enabled the Press Attaches to gather information about the post Ebola and investment opportunities in Sierra Leone so that the information is widely popularized to attract African businessmen and enhance intra-African trade.

Dr. Ali Wurie, the Case Management Head at the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitization (MHS) welcomed the AU delegation during the site visit and lauded the initiative to couple such an important workshop with a visit to the Ebola Center. He explained that, the Military hospital in close collaboration with the (Medecins san Frontiere) MHS had set up 25 treatment centers and 55 isolation units in the clinic and that due to the large number of treatment centers the virus was contained .

On the African involvement Dr. Wurie recognized the role of the African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA). He said the experienced African Union Member States health workers quickly assimilated with the teams that were already on ground. According to Dr. Wurie a post Ebola research laboratory has been set up in Sierra Leone and is now equipped with a pool of experienced health workers to prevent future outbreaks. He announced that the Sierra Leonean Government is currently working on a vaccine and that four vaccine trials are ongoing in the country" he indicated.

Col. Dr. Foday Sahr commanding Officer of the Joint Medical Unit, said the military was involved in all aspects of the of the fight against the virus including treatments and quarantine, as such they witnessed the largest survival scaling at the hospital . "We are now looking at the post Ebola response and mechanisms by engaging into advance research and learning to ensure that we are better prepared in case of future outbreaks of any viral disease or epidemics" concluded the Colonel.

The team of AU Press Attaches also visited the doctor's quarters, the isolation wards and the EVD survival clinic during the guided tour.

The Bureau of the AUC Chairperson was represented by Mrs. Christiane Matondo, Principal Communication Officer, who appreciated the positive impact of the visit of the AU delegation to the Ebola Centers in Sierra Leone as part of the agenda of the pre-summit workshop of Press Attaches at AU Embassies based in Addis Ababa.