Conakry, Guinea
French President Francois Hollande said Friday that his country sought to mobilize the international community against the Ebola virus, which continues to run rampant in West Africa.
"I will go tomorrow with my Guinean counterpart [Alpha Condé] to the Francophonie Summit in Dakar to make a fresh appeal to the international community to take action [against Ebola]," Hollande told reporters in Conakry, where he arrived earlier in the day for an hours-long visit.
"France has been a good example. We have already allocated 100 million euros for the fight against Ebola," the French leader said. "What we can do beyond material assistance is to show how human life is important."
Hollande arrived in the Guinean capital earlier in the day for a visit expected to focus on the fight against Ebola. His visit is the first by a Western leader to Guinea since the epidemic erupted in March.
The French leader praised Guinea's efforts to contain the deadly outbreak, saying the West African nation's prevention campaign might "save the world, Europe and France from the threat of being infected by this terrible virus."
"We are together in this fight and that's very important. I stand with you to bring the image of friendship, solidarity and hope," he added.
Condé, for his part, praised the visit, saying the "presence of a president of a country as important as France in Guinea proves that everyone can come to Guinea."
"France has supported us from the beginning and Hollande is personally engaged in this battle against Ebola. We are exerting every effort to end the disease as soon as possible and help the countries that help us avoid the virus," he added.
In recent months, Ebola – a contagious disease for which there is no known treatment or cure – has killed roughly 5,459 people, mostly in West Africa, according to the World Health Organization.
At least 1,214 of these deaths were registered in Guinea, where the current Ebola outbreak was first recorded.
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