ADDIS ABABA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on Tuesday joined African leaders, international partners, United Nations agencies and regional organizations to rally coordinated support for the Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Convened by Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who is also the current chairperson of the AU, the high-level meeting on the Ebola outbreak aimed to mobilize political leadership, solidarity, and resources to accelerate containment of the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak and reinforce continental preparedness.
The AU, in a statement issued late Tuesday, said the summit served as a platform to mobilize urgent political commitment, financial resources, and operational support to strengthen Africa's collective response to the outbreak and reinforce continental health security.
Addressing the virtual gathering, the AUC chief underscored the importance of enhancing national and regional response plans, strengthening cross-border coordination, and scaling up preparedness, surveillance, and containment measures.
He called for sustained solidarity and collective action among African countries and their partners to prevent further transmission of the disease and invest in resilient health systems across the continent.
He reaffirmed the 55-member continental organization's commitment to working closely with all stakeholders to strengthen resilience, advance coordinated public health responses, and "ensure that no African country is left behind in addressing this shared challenge."
The high-level meeting was held as the DRC and Uganda had recorded a cumulative 827 confirmed cases and 194 deaths, including 19 cases and two deaths in Uganda, according to the latest Africa CDC data. A total of 53 patients have also recovered from the viral disease. ■
