The US Senate Foreign Relations Sub-committee on Africa and Global Health Policy is holding a hearing in Washington DC today, to examine a progress report on the West Africa Ebola Epidemic.
ArcelorMittal’s Corporate Responsibility General Manager, Alan Knight, is testifying at the hearing in his role as chairman of the Ebola Private Sector Mobilisation Group (EPSMG). He will be speaking on two specific points: examining the role of the private sector in coordinating an effective, rapid response during a crisis, and examining the challenges to economic recovery, as well as providing an overview of the role played by the private sector in tackling the Ebola outbreak, and will also provide some observations on recovery in West Africa.
Created by ArcelorMittal in 2014 the EPSMG was originally only a platform for companies to share information in the battle against Ebola. It quickly grew, however, to include international advocacy for a global response to the Ebola outbreak, and the mobilisation of in-country resources to support humanitarian and healthcare first responders. At its height there were more than 100 companies and almost 50 public bodies and NGOs participating.
"The battle against Ebola is far from over and many challenges lie ahead for West Africa including the challenging economic environment. Business has shown that it can rise to the challenge, working in partnership to deliver the most effective response, to the benefit of employees, their families and their communities. But the private sector cannot and should not replace the role of other stakeholder groups and thus there is a great deal more work to be done," commented Alan Knight.
