Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Seán Sherlock has said he hopes his visit to Sierra Leone will prompt a more robust response to the Ebola virus from the EU.
Mr Sherlock said the 48-hour trip, which begins today, could create a “ripple effect” because he would be the first European Minister to visit the region since the outbreak.
“I do think we need to up our game from a European Union perspective. If the word goes out that one Minister has been there, if nothing else if it raises consciousness about the political response, then I think we will have achieved something.
“The monies will flow, I’ve no worries about that whatsoever, but it’s putting people on the ground that’s the most important thing. It’s the medical response to this . . . and that has to be a European response to my mind as well. It has to be a robust response.”
Mr Sherlock will assess the effect of the €1 million in funding provided by Irish Aid to date, which he said was being used to provide nutritional supplies to children and much-needed blankets, tents, mosquito nets and water tanks.
He will meet with the president of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, and government representatives in Freetown to discuss their response to the crisis and the extent of support provided by the international community.
He will also meet aid workers from Goal, Concern, the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières, in addition to staff from the United Nations and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
A visit to an Ebola crisis response centre is also scheduled, along with a distribution centre for supplies provided by Irish Aid.
More than 5,800 people are reported to have been infected by the Ebola virus, and the WHO has warned of an exponential increase in cases over the coming months.
