President Sirleaf Meets with USAID

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says Liberia has now seized back its future that was once threatened by the dreadful Ebola virus disease that plagued the country.

The Liberian leader attributed the success in the fight against the killer disease first to the resilience of the Liberian people who took ownership of the fight at the community level and the national efforts supported by the international intervention led by the United States of America.

“Your role was also very crucial providing the much needed support that enabled our people in the towns, villages and communities who were the victims to take ownership of the fight. The U.S. has been a great partner,” she indicated.

According to a Dispatch from Washington, D.C., U.S.A., President Sirleaf made the remarks when she met with the Administrator of the United States Aid Agency for International Development (USAID), Rajiv Shah and senior officials of the U.S. Government Inter-Agencies on Wednesday, February 25, as part of her on-going official visit to the U.S.

“Today our kids are back in school, the curfew has been lifted, the borders are reopened, the markets are full again – what more can we say, but thank you,” she pointed out, earning thunderous round of applause from the USAID staffers.

The Liberian leader said the challenge now for Liberia having turned the corner against Ebola, was to see how the U.S. Government could continue to remain engaged not just in helping to eradicate the disease, but also to play a lead role in the Liberian Government’s efforts to get back on track with its national development plan – the Agenda for Transformation – post-Ebola.

Earlier in a meeting with the USAID Administrator and other senior officials of U.S. Inter-Agencies, President Sirleaf welcomed news of the new approved U.S. Government funding towards the final push against Ebola.

She said the Liberian Government’s road to health programme, upgrading the health sector to withstand future disease outbreaks, improving the agriculture sector with a focus on storing, preserving and processing, as well as support to the provision of basic social services were all vital areas such funding could go towards.

The USAID Administrator and other senior officials of Inter-Agencies lauded President Sirleaf for her brilliant leadership role and cooperation with the U.S. in the fight against Ebola.

They committed to work with the Liberian Government to, first ensure that Liberia reaches the zero case benchmark and to also remain engaged with Liberia so that the country not only gets back on track with its national development programmes upset by Ebola, but also explore new areas of cooperation.