Mr. Speaker, Our response capacity is surging and we will soon get ahead of the virus. But whatever we do will count for little if individuals don’t stop touching the sick and those who die of the disease. The battle will be ultimately won at the level of our behaviour as individuals and families. We know what we are being asked to do is difficult, but life is bigger than these difficulties; our survival as a nation warrants us to do what we are not used to doing. But we must do it. This is a choice between life and death, and I believe our commitment to life will overcome those behaviours that bring death. I strongly believe in this, and I know every Sierra Leonean will live up to what must be done to save our families, our communities and our nation. We must all overcome our governmental, international and community challenges in an almost perfect-fit to stop Ebola. Even if government and its partners build all the required treatment centres and provide all the logistics, it will still be very difficult to end the outbreak if our people continue to touch the sick and bury the dead without certification and support from the burial teams. This is a fight that requires all to do their part. Government will continue to increase and improve on its capacity to deal with the outbreak, but we are all in this together. It is a fight for every individual in every community; every family in every chiefdom and every district. We will overcome. The Sierra Leonean-run centre at Hastings is getting out more survivors than almost all other centres. We salute the brave Sierra Leoneans working in that centre and all over the country to end this outbreak. Without our doctors and nurses and other health workers, this battle cannot be won; without the light of your service we will be groping in the dark. We rely on your knowledge, your compassion and your commitment to win this fight. We salute the survivors of Ebola. You are living symbols of our eventual victory over this deadly disease. Fighting this disease also requires that we hail rather than stigmatize our survivors and health-workers. Those who have survived Ebola require our support and care; we must not let them down. To the international world, and to those who are rushing to stigmatize us, remember that over 99% of us are not infected by Ebola; and we are doing all in our strength and resolve to defeat this virus. Your empathy, rather than stigmatization is the better way to stop this virus from spreading. Stop the blanket ban of flights to and from our region; stop the stigmatization of our people in your countries; stop the panic reactions that are slowing down the deployment of health personnel and equipment in our region. These deployments are what would really stop Ebola from spreading, and not the stigmatization. Fellow Sierra Leoneans, the Ebola outbreak is emphasizing to all that we are more connected to each other than many would admit. No one can be immune from the challenges facing the nation; and this calls for all of us to work together to overcome these challenges. We salute our international friends for standing up with us in this moment of great trial for our nation and all humanity. We salute our parliamentarians who are mobilizing their constituencies to fight this virus; we salute our chiefs who are implementing byelaws to ensure behavioural changes required to fight this evil; we salute those imams and pastors who are promoting scriptures of life and not practices that lead to death; we salute our security forces, our youths, our women and children. I believe in Sierra Leone. Like we were hailed earlier this year as a symbol of post war recovery, democratic progress and economic growth, let us be hailed again as an exemplar of post Ebola recovery, stronger health systems, peace, good governance and development. I say this because I have great faith in God and in this country. These are trying moments; we are at war with a killer virus, but we must show forth the good that is in us, we must show forth our devotion, our strength and our might. Fellow Sierra Leoneans, this is the time to raise our hearts unto actions required of us, so that the blessing of healing continues to descend upon us all. No one should stay behind in this fight; let us all ensure that no one is left behind. This is a fight for all of us; and all of us must be involved to ensure victory. We will be victorious, we will be victorious, In the Name of God Almighty, we will be victorious. God bless Sierra Leone. statehouse.gov.sl/index.php/presidents-speeches/1073-presidential-address-delivered-by-his-excellency-the-president-dr-ernest-bai-koroma
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 09:03:21 +0000
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