By Joseph Kamara
New UN envoy and resident coordinator in Sierra Leone says the outbreak of the Ebola haemorrhagic virus is “indeed dangerous for the country” and calls for strong leadership from the health authorities.
The Australian born diplomat, David Mclachlan-Karr, said the ministry of health was required to coordinate international and national efforts to contain the outbreak and to treat the victims. Over 60 people now been killed by the fever in less than six weeks, according to the ministry of health.
The Executive Representative of the Secretary General, ERSG, in the country said a health task team, chaired by the World Health Organization, WHO, was providing major aid for clinical management that included the setting up of isolation units at hospitals. He urged journalists to be focused and unflappable in sensitizing the country about the dangers of the virus.
Mclachlan-Karr last week presented his credentials to the Sierra Leone media in the Conference Room at the UNDP office, indicating health, education and governance reforms as key issues to which the UN would direct their development mandate in the country.
On governance reforms, he cited corruption and the constitutional review, inter alia. While he commended the president on his “zero tolerance strategy on corruption”, the UN man also encouraged journalists to be “vigilant and ensure that the people of this country are informed of what is going on.”
“We must hold our elected leaders and public officials, including the UN, to account for their activities and the way they expend the public purse”, he urged and cautioned the media to be responsible and to act within high ethical standards as established for journalists.
He assured of UN’s commitment to continue supporting Sierra Leone but warned that the country could not develop if it depended only on foreign aid.
(C) Politico 01/07/14
