Addis Ababa — The Economic Commission for Africa jointly with the African Union Commission will organise a high-level meeting on Sunday 29 March 2015 to discuss the impact of Ebola on the continent.

The meeting that will be held in the side-line of the 2015 Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in Addis Ababa aims at sharing information on efforts deployed by different stakeholders in their support for countries affected by the Ebola virus.

The event will examine the current status of the epidemiological situation and the extent of the response provided this far. This will also make it possible to gain a better understanding of the economic and social impacts on the countries affected, on West Africa and on the continent.

The discussions will also tackle the Ebola eradication measures, the aftermath and recovery efforts both in short and long ranges.

The meeting will analyse the strategies and plans adopted by Ebola affected countries to put their economies back on the pace of growth with the aim of restoring the investors' confidence and attract Foreign Direct Investments in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The participants to the meeting will also debate on the mechanisms that would strengthen the resilience and the capacities of these countries to deal with similar shocks in the future.

As results, reference documents, adequate human and financial resources mobilisation strategies and institutional frameworks will be elaborated. Thus this meeting will be a platform to kick start the recovery phase for the most affected three countries, and the formulation of strategic recovery plans, financing and implementation.

According to the monthly report of the World Health Organization dated March 6, 2015, a total number of 24 014 cases of patients infected with the Ebola virus have been recorded in the three countries, of which there were 9 840 deaths, with 2 147 in Guinea, 4 117 in Liberia and 3 576 in Sierra Leone.