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G20 leaders call for global action to tackle Ebola

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IMF to provide additional funds to counter Ebola while NGO's criticizes the G20 statement as lacking  substance
(Two stories, scroll down.)
THE GUARDIAN                                                                                                      Nov. 15, 2014
By Patrick Wintour

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA --The G20 has welcomed a commitment from the IMF to provide $300m (£190m) in extra funding to help fight Ebola in the three worst-affected west African countries.

The IMF money for Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia will come through “a combination of concessional loans, debt relief, and grants”, according to a statement issued by the world leaders’ summit, being held in Brisbane.

U.S. President Barack Obama and other leaders gather for a group photo at the G20 summit in Brisbane November 15, 2014.Credit: Reuters/Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Pool

The G20 also claimed to be “committed to do what is necessary to ensure the international effort can extinguish the outbreak”, while pointedly urging “governments that have yet to do so to join in providing financial contributions, appropriately qualified and trained medical teams and personnel, medical and protective equipment, and medicines and treatments”.

The IMF had previously estimated the epidemic would be brought under control by the first quarter of 2015, but now believed this was likely to be the second half of the year, increasing the cost to the countries affected. It has forecasted that growth estimates for the three countries is likely to be downgraded.

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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/15/ebola-imf-set-to-unveil-debt-relief-at-g20-for-worst-affected-countries

G20 statement on Ebola stops short of financial commitments

 REUTERS                                                                                                                    Nov. 15, 2014

By Jane Wardell

BRISBANE -- The Group of 20 world leaders on Saturday committed to mobilising resources to combat the Ebola epidemic that has killed some 5,000 people, but stopped short of agreeing to a global pandemic fund.

The G20 issued a joint statement on the crisis, saying all members are "committed to do what is necessary to ensure the international effort can extinguish the outbreak and address its medium-term economic and humanitarian costs".

Oxfam Australia Chief Executive Helen Szoke said a lack of urgency and specific commitments in the statement meant there was a real risk a U.N. target to treat 70 percent of cases by Dec. 1 will not be met.

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said on Friday the idea of establishing a global emergency fund that could quickly respond to a health crisis had received interest from some leaders. Funds could be raised on the international bond markets and paid back over time, he said.

The G20 statement called on both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to explore new flexible mechanisms to address the economic effects of future comparable crises, but did not specify a particular approach.

"This declaration lacks substance," said Friederike Röder, spokesman for the ONE organisation, which campaigns against poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.

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http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/11/15/g20-summit-ebola-idINKCN0IZ0CS20141115

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whitehouse.gov - by Gayle Smith - November 15, 2014

We have consistently said that Ebola is an urgent global challenge requiring an urgent and commensurate global response.  Earlier today, Leaders of the G20—a collection of the world’s largest economies—answered that call from their ongoing summit in Brisbane, Australia. They committed to continued and intensified action to end the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and pledged to assist others to achieve needed health security capacity to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to future outbreaks before they become epidemics.

The communique commends the extraordinary international commitments and cooperation toward the Ebola response to-date, while urging countries around the globe—as well as international organizations and the private sector—to do their part. The statement also goes one step farther to achieve global implementation of the World Health Organization International Health Regulations, which over 40 countries and 17 G-20 members have now pledged to accelerate through the Global Health Security Agenda.

Specifically, among other steps, G20 Leaders pledged to:

  • Expedite the provision of funds and other forms of assistance to the affected countries, including personnel, medical teams and personnel, medical and protective equipment, and medicines and treatments;
  • Share their experiences fighting the epidemic to ensure healthcare workers and other responders encounter the safest conditions possible;
  • Urge greater efforts on the part of researchers, regulators, and pharmaceutical companies to develop safe, effective, and affordable diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments;
  • Call upon international and regional institutions—as well as civil society and the private sector—to devise ways to mitigate the impacts of the epidemic and facilitate an economic recovery for the affected countries;
  • Encourage the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund to continue their strong support for the affected countries, including through concessional loans, debt relief, and grants;
  • Build capacity to prevent, detect, report early and rapidly respond to infectious diseases such as Ebola so that future outbreaks of infectious diseases can be stanched before they develop into epidemics; and,
  • Set a date by next May for those members that wish to accelerate action to announce a timeline for establishing the needed capacity across the Economic Community of West African States and other vulnerable regions to combat future infectious disease threats. We look forward to working with partners, including through the Global Health Security Agenda, to set this timeline and to achieve this important goal.

All told, the international community has already committed more than $1.5 billion to fight the epidemic, while officials from countries large and small have worked on the ground hand-in-hand, together with authorities from the affected countries and humanitarian responders, to beat back this disease. But, today’s communique signals a commitment on the part of the world’s largest and most powerful countries to see this challenge through and to recognize infectious outbreaks for what they are: global threats. The United States will be there until the Ebola epidemic is contained and the affected countries are back on their feet. And today, many of our closest allies and partners pledged to be right there with us.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/11/15/welcoming-g20s-commitment-stop-ebola-and-strengthen-global-health-security

g20.org

We are deeply concerned about the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and saddened by the suffering and loss of life it is inflicting. We are mindful of the serious humanitarian, social and economic impacts on those countries, and of the potential for these impacts to spread.

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