India, Africa Union postpone New Delhi summit amid Ebola outbreak
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The Bunia General Referral Hospital in Bunia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, where suspected Ebola patients were brought to following the confirmation of a new outbreak on May 20.
PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW DELHI – India and the African Union have postponed a summit meeting due to take place next week in New Delhi after a deadly Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Mindful of the emerging public health situation on the continent... the two sides agreed that it would be advisable to convene the Fourth India–Africa Forum Summit at a later date,” India’s foreign ministry said.
The India–Africa Forum Summit had been scheduled to take place in New Delhi from May 28-31.
India said it was ready “to contribute to Africa CDC-led (Centres for Disease Control) efforts aimed at addressing the evolving health situation”.
The World Health Organization said on May 20 that risk from a deadly Ebola outbreak is high in central Africa but remains low globally, adding that the virus had likely been spreading for months.
The outbreak of the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever was declared in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15.
Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa in the past half-century.
The 17th Ebola outbreak to hit the DRC is already suspected of having caused 139 deaths from around 600 probable cases.
Delhi’s international airport on May 21 issued a health advisory for passengers arriving in India from DR Congo as well as neighbouring Uganda and South Sudan.
New Delhi, which stressed the importance of “continued cooperation in strengthening public health preparedness and response capacities across the continent”, said new dates for a summit would be set later. AFP
