On March 24, 2015, Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone and Campaign for Good Governance(CGG) issued a joint press release on the conclusion of the program on enhancing community response to the Ebola epidemic funded by the China-Africa People-to-People Friendship Action initiative.
Charge D'affaires of the Chinese Embassy, Mr. Yin Chengwu, and Executive Director of CGG Mrs. Valnora Edwin signed the press release.
The full text of the joint press release is as follows:
CGG contribution to the eradication of EBOLA Viral Disease (EVD) with support from the Chinese Embassy
Freetown, Sierra Leone – March 24, 2015
Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) in partnership with the Chinese Embassy announces the closure of the project titled: Enhancing community response to the EBOLA epidemic under the theme influencing behaviour change for Zero new infection. The move was accentuated with a desperate drive of breaking the transmission chain in the EVD fight and eventually getting to zero. With 200,000 Yuan RMB (Le153,846,000) funding from the Chinese Embassy under the China-Africa People-to-People Friendship Action program, CGG provided assorted food items to 40 Quarantine homes in Port Loko and Western Rural Districts, provided freshly cooked frontline lunch packs to patients and medical staff of the 34 Military EBOLA Treatment Centre at Wilberforce and collaborated with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs to collect the data of EVD survivors in the Western Urban and Rural areas.
“We are grateful to the Chinese Embassy for the prompt support and we acknowledge their sustained financial and technical support to the Government and people of Sierra Leone over the years”. Says Valnora Edwin, Executive Director – CGG
The fight against EBOLA is a national fight therefore the lunchbox initiative and the supply of food items to quarantined household contributed immensely to cushioning particularly the humanitarian effects that had emerged as a result of the outbreak. The lunch box initiative and the supply of food items to quarantine homes were appreciated by both government, medical team at the 34 hospital and the quarantine households in Port Loko and Goderich Village. In Port Loko the food supply was quite timely as it supported the immediate enforcement of a quarantine household at Conteh Street. Quarantine enforcement of this household had been put on hold for over four days because of the unavailability of food supplies. Members of the household in Port Loko stated that they were more appreciative of the message of hope that accompanied the food supply; for them that was the most important at that time.
Mr. Yin Chengwu, Charge D'affaires of the Chinese Embassy commended the efforts made by CGG in successfully implementing the program, and emphasized that China-Africa People-to-People Friendship Action is an important initiative of the Chinese government to strengthen its relationship with the people of Sierra Leone. He assured that China will continue to reach the people of Sierra Leone through implementation of various projects under China-Africa People-to-People Friendship Action.
As the project unfolded, the determination and strife of government and international partners to eradicate the disease in the shortest possible time through the different pillars especially the social mobilization pillar were particularly noted. Another important progress marker noted is the striking improvement in behavior patterns in line with the standard Operational Principles on Ebola. This has been evident in the reduction of new cases in recent times but with Ebola successes can only be meaningful when 42 days of no new infection is recorded.
As CGG engaged in the field it became evident that the EVD response was not without challenges and these issues we believe should be given the utmost attention if we are to consolidate the gains that have been so far in ending the outbreak.
Key among the challenges CGG advocated on and continues to highlight is the area of surveillance and contact tracing as well as the handling of the Quarantine processes and facilities. The response interventions took limited cognizance of issues relating to women, girls, children and disabled persons. Their inclusion and participation in all of the response processes was very limited. There were limited consideration of their levels of vulnerability especially women in view of their care giving role especially at the initial stage of the outbreak.
As we move towards zero infection and beyond CGG will continue to support all efforts towards getting to zero in the EVD epidermic. The organization will endeavor to ensure a coordinated and efficient post EBOLA recovery and reintegration programme where Citizens voices are at the center, EVD survivors included, the health sector resourced and made accountable So that NEVER AGAIN will Sierra Leoneans have to experience a devastating health crisis which not only claimed the lives of thousands but crippled struggling families, and slowed the momentum every sector of the society had built.
(signed)
Mr. Yin Chengwu
Charge D'affaires
Representative of the Embassy of the P.R.China
(signed)
Mrs. Valnora Edwin
Executive Director
Representative of Campaign for Good Governance