Africa Against Ebola Forum.
A Private Sector and Partners Forum.
Concept note.
Background
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is witnessing the second largest world Ebola
Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak, which started about one year ago. As of today, the current
EVD has killed over 2,181 individuals with over 3,264 recorded cases. Moreover, after a
yearlong fight against EVD in an armed conflict zones in Eastern DRC, the outbreak
spilled over into a high densely populated city of Goma and neighbouring Uganda; and
poses a very high risk to the region of more than 280 million inhabitants.
Like other partners, the African Union, through the Africa Centres for Disease Control and
Prevention (Africa CDC), has been supporting the efforts of the government of the DRC
from the beginning of the outbreak. Given the health, economic, and security threat that
this deadly disease poses to the continent, the Africa Union is calling for mobilization of
all Africans and friends of Africa to show increased solidarity with communities affected
and those at highest risk.
African leadership, ownership, and solutions are highly needed to address this crisis. As
such, the African Union will:

• Mobilize African health workers who have vast experiences from the AU support
  mission to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA). Currently, more than 500
  volunteers from different disciplines: doctors, nurses, epidemiologist, laboratory
  experts, and infection prevention experts have shown interest to support this
  efforts.
• Mobilize up to 600 local health workers and community volunteers to reach out the
  most remote corners of affected health areas and zones, to address the critical
  challenges of community engagement and ownership.
• Build local capacities and diagnostic capabilities by procuring and placing of
  laboratory facilities, and border screening machines and infection prevention and
  control supplies.
• Strengthen preparedness measures and capacities of most at risk neighbouring
  countries.
• Strengthen the local health systems including placing of surveillance platform,
  diagnostic capacities for early detection, rapid response and containment of future
  outbreaks at the source.

All these need additional financial and in kind resources. In 2014, the Africa Against Ebola
Solidarity Trust Fund was a game changer in bringing an end to EVD in West Africa that
accounted for about 11,000 deaths, by investing in the continent’s capacity to respond to
public health emergencies through the deployment of African Health Workers.
This is a call to action against this threat to humanity on our continent. H.E Mr. Moussa
Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission will host the Africa Against Ebola:
A Private Sector and Partners forum.
Forum Objective
The main objective of this Private Sector Forum is, therefore, to mobilize the necessary
financial and material support for the Ebola crisis in the DRC and the surrounding region.
Expected outcome
The expected outcome of this forum is to have sufficient financial and in-kind support to
intensify efforts for Ebola mitigation in the DRC and prevent its spread in the surrounding
region.
Participants
AU Commission (Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, All Commissioners and Directors),
Head of States, African Private Sectors and Philanthropies, Development Partners,
Donors, Diplomatic missions and UN agencies.