EBOLA: FROM EMERGENCY TO RECOVERY

The European Union and key partners are organising a major global conference on Ebola on 3 March. This downloadable footage contains background information on the conference including interviews, talks and powerful imagery from the field.

3 MARCH GLOBAL CONFERENCE CHARTS THE WAY FORWARD IN FIGHT AGAINST EBOLA

The European Union and key partners are organizing a major global conference on Ebola in Brussels on March 3rd.

The event, entitled “Ebola, from emergency to recovery” will take stock of the fight against the outbreak, coordinate further action to eradicate the disease, and discuss the recovery process in the countries worst affected.

This VNR contains background to the 3 March meeting and the current state of the Ebola crisis : 
• Interview with Claus Sørensen, Director General, European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO)
• Interview with Dr Abu Bakarr Fofanah, Sierra Leone Minister for Health and Sanitation
• Powerful video, shot in January-February 2015, captured by two health workers who were given video cameras to record the fight against Ebola :

- In the slums of Freetown, Sierra Leone, with a group of Sierra Leone Red Cross volunteers, sensitizing and mobilizing local communities to prevent and combat the spread of the virus.

- Inside the triage area of an Ebola Treatment Unit run by International Medical Corps in Bong County, Liberia.
The 3 March meeting, formally opened by the Queen of Belgium and the Belgian Prime Minister, will be co-chaired by the Presidents of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, as well as the United Nations, the African Union, and Togo (Ebola coordinator of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The European Union will be represented by
- Vice President and High Representative, Federica Mogherini
- EU Ebola Coordinator and Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides
- EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica
- EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis

More than 80 delegations have been invited, including Ministers from all West African countries and EU member states, other countries that are contributing to the fight against Ebola, and relevant partners, such as UN agencies, the IMF, the World Bank, NGOs, the private sector and research institutes.

West Africa is currently facing the largest and most complex Ebola epidemic on record. The Ebola outbreak primarily affects three countries : Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. So far, more than 22,500 cases have been confirmed and more than 9,000 victims have died.

The European Union has mobilized humanitarian, political, financial and scientific resources to help contain, control, treat and ultimately defeat the virus. The EU and its Member States have pledged over €1.2 billion to fight the epidemic. The EU is contributing €414 million to provide emergency measures and longer-term support, as well as the development of vaccines and treatments.

0000 Waiver and titles.

0023 Interview with Claus Sørensen, Director General, European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (19 February 2015): 
We cannot apply the same paradigm as we do in normal humanitarian crises, where we are happy if we reach eighty percent of a suffering population. Or we feed seventy percent of the hungry children. In the case of Ebola, we have to come to zero. So the last stretch is going to require a massive effort.

0052 Interview with Dr Abu Bakarr Fofanah, Sierra Leone Minister of Health and Sanitation (30 January 2015)
The fight is still on. Because what we must not forget is the thousands of cases that we have registered, including thousands of deaths, came from just a single case in this country. So until we get to that single case, and beyond it to zero, and keep that zero-case reporting for 42 consecutive days, until WHO certifies us as Ebola-free, there must not be any room for complacency, the fight must continue.

01 32 The international solidarity that this country has received, not only this country, but also our sister countries Liberia and Guinea, I think deserves commendation. Because if we can boast of eleven laboratories, it’s as a result of international solidarity. If we can boast of thirty treatment and holding centres, it’s as a result of international solidarity. If we can boast of hundreds of ambulances, various vehicles and civilian vehicles, it’s as a result of international solidarity.

02 13 Volunteers working with Sierra Leone Red Cross visit communities in Freetown, to advise and inform them how to combat Ebola (12 January 2015)

02 44 The group listen to people quarantined for 21 days because of Ebola cases in their homes.

02 56 Magdalene Kanu, Social Mobilization volunteer, Sierra Leone Red Cross. Magdalene is a 25-year-old student. Education institutions have been closed since the outbreak.

We’ve spoken to three or four houses that have been quarantined. They’ve given us their own views. Some of them said they lack food supply, and by the end of this week, if there is no food supply, they will move out of their quarantined house, which is not good for this situation in our county.

03 17 Volunteers on a separate visit in Freetown (10 February 2015)

03 33 Magdalene Kanu: Nowadays we find that the children are the most vulnerable. We are at a community, trying to sensitize them to hand-washing, in order for them not to contact the disease.

03 55 Theophilius Fayiah, Ebola survivor in Liberia, tells of his reaction when told he’d contracted the virus. (Shot 3 January 2015)
By ten they came for me. They said: Who is Theophilius T. Fayiah? I said: Yes, here I am. They said: Theo for information, you are confirmed positive, and now we are going to carry you to the confirmed ward. Right away, I broke down. I started crying.

04 22 Theophilius, a qualified nurse, now works as a Physician’s Assistant at an Ebola Treatment Unit run by International Medical Corps in Bong County, Liberia. Inside triage area of Ebola Treatment Unit run by International Medical Corps. (Shot 9 Febuary 2015)

04 23 Theophilius Fayiah: This is the triage area. And when the patients come, upon arrival, they’re put down from the ambulance and seated opposite us. And we have a screen between us. And then we question them to ascertain that indeed what is written on the form also comes from the patient’s mouth.

04 45 Sequence of Theophilius putting on his personal protective equipment.

05 47 Ends