ECOWAS vows efforts to resume flights to Sierra Leone

The President of the Republic of Togo and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Coordinator of the Ebola response, Faure Gnassingbe has assured the President and people of Sierra Leone that the community has put strategies in place for air companies to resume flights to the country.

The Togolese President gave the assurance during a visit to Sierra Leone and other Ebola ravaged countries over the weekend.

Mr Gnassingbe sympathized with the people of Sierra Leone and went further to assure the country that they will strive to ensure that the isolation faced by the country will be lifted.

About seven airlines were operating flights to Sierra Leone including British Airways, Kenya Airlines as well as French airlines but stopped after the outbreak.

The Togolese President said ECOWAS was putting modality in place to confront the post-Ebola challenges and also ensure the strengthening of the public health facilities in the sub-region to address any further health challenges in the future.

Welcoming his colleague, President Ernest Koroma commended ECOWAS and the international community for their support in fighting the disease. He pointed out that "though we are not yet out of the woods but we have made tremendous progress."

President Koroma explained the efforts his government has made by expanding the facilities.

The two heads of state held extensive discussions among other things, such as the scope, magnitude and socioeconomic impact of disease in the Mano River Union basin as well as the national and international response capacities including the Ecowas states. Endi