President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed South Africa’s support for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as it battles an Ebola outbreak.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed South Africa’s support for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as it battles an Ebola outbreak, pledging continued backing for local vaccine development and calling for a ceasefire to allow humanitarian workers safe access to affected communities.
Ramaphosa made the remarks on Thursday during a working visit to Kinshasa, where he joined DRC President Félix Tshisekedi at a multi-stakeholder engagement on the outbreak. Speaking in his capacity as the African Union Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, Ramaphosa said his mandate was to “provide oversight, mobilise resources, strengthen cooperation among member states and support coordinated continental action.”
Earlier in the day, the two presidents held bilateral talks on the Ebola outbreak and broader regional health security issues before meeting with ministers, Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya, representatives of the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB), donors, and public health officials.
Ramaphosa began by expressing condolences on behalf of the South African government to Congolese families who have lost loved ones during the outbreak.
