Chinese envoy urges continued efforts against Ebola

A Chinese envoy to the UN Friday called on the international community to continue their efforts to counter the Ebola outbreak, which has recently slowed down but become more dispersed cases.

"Recently, the Ebola outbreak in west Africa has slowed down somewhat. The number of new cases in Liberia and Guinea has dropped. This shows the international counter-Ebola efforts have begun to be productive," said Liu Jieyi, China' s permanent representative to the United Nations at a UN Security Council meeting on Ebola.

Liu warned that the spreading momentum of the outbreak has not been fundamentally contained, still gravely threatening the life, health, and public health security of people in West Africa and the world at large.

"The international community should not relent their efforts, instead we should work harder to counter Ebola outbreak," said he, urging the international community to continue taking measures "to consolidate achievements already made in this stage."

Liu also called on relevant parties to concretely honor their commitment of assistance and help the affected countries to contain and eliminate the outbreak in "a timely and effective way" and increase the affected people' s confidence in beating the diseases.

The envoy also noted the importance of post-outbreak reconstruction. "The outbreak has undermined political and security situation, economic and social development, and people' s wellbeing in those affected countries," he said, adding that the international community should be focused on post-Ebola needs, and make early plans to help the affected countries.

On China' s contribution, Liu pointed out that China has implemented three batches of aid measures and assistance and is working on delivering the fourth batch.

The treatment center which is being built with the Chinese assistance in Liberia will be completed and put into use by the end of this month. Last weekend, the first team of 163 health care workers tasked with managing and operating the treatment center has also arrived in Liberia.

The treatment center will be open to everyone including the local population, Liu said, noting China is the first country to help build, manage and operate a treatment center in the affected area.

In the meantime, a 40-member Chinese team arrived in Sierra Leon to continue monitoring work at mobile labs. At present, there are about 400 Chinese health care workers in the affected states. In the next few months, Chinese health care workers, public health experts will make around 1,000 tours of services to the frontline, to train the local people to do lab testing, to observe the samples and also to give treatment.

China' s latest batch of aid measures are already geared to what is needed in the post-Ebola period, Liu said, noting they are focused on helping the affected countries, strengthening the public health security system and capacity building.

Earlier this month, a team of Chinese public health experts have arrived in Sierra Leon to begin their work. China is also considering building a prevention, treatment and research center in African for pathogen and tropical diseases and sending experts to participate in the African diseases control center of the African Union.

"We have also contributed 6 million, 2 million and 2 million dollars respectively to the UN Ebola multi-partner trust fund, to the World Health Organization and the AU," Liu added.

Besides the Chinese government, Chinese enterprises in the affected countries, such as in Guinea, have also contributed to and participated in the campaign against the epidemic.