Ramaphosa urges African leaders to accelerate action on Ebola crisis

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged African leaders to renew their commitments and accelerate action on the Ebola crisis. Speaking at a high-level virtual African Union (AU) meeting on the crisis on Tuesday, Ramaphosa emphasised solidarity, stronger health systems, and urgent investment in Africa’s own capacity to respond to health emergencies. The president opened his remarks, recalling that nearly US$500 million in pledges had been mobilised since the last gathering, and stressed the importance of converting those pledges into real support, whether in cash, medical supplies, or technical assistance. Ramaphosa announced that South Africa is raising its contribution to $13.5 million, underscoring the country’s commitment to frontline health workers and the fight against Ebola. “With no vaccine or antiviral, every day that transmission continues unchecked, the human cost rises. The West Africa Ebola epidemic demonstrated that delayed action could transform a localised outbreak into a regional and global crisis. This is why our response must focus on breaking the transmission and stopping Ebola at its source.” The president called for ceasefires to allow safe passage of goods and services, stronger cross-border collaboration, and expanded rapid diagnostic testing and community awareness. He further urged African financial institutions, development banks, and the private sector to join governments in building resilience, while welcoming the World Bank’s efforts to free up capital.