The World Government Summit, an annual forum on good governance held in Dubai, yesterday awarded Senegal’s Awa Marie Coll Seck for her role in the battle against Ebola.
Coll Seck, the Senegalese health minister, was awarded the title of “best minister” from the United Arab Emirates vice president and Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.
The award was in recognition of her role in defeating Ebola through prevention and information programmes.
The worst-ever outbreak of the deadly virus started in December 2013 in southern Guinea before spreading to two neighbouring west African countries, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
That outbreak killed more than 11,300 people out of nearly 29,000 registered cases, according to World Health Organisation estimates.
The real figure might be significantly higher, however.
More than 99% of victims were in the three nations — more than 4,800 in Liberia, more than 2,500 dead in Guinea, and more than 3,900 in Sierra Leone.
The WHO declared the epidemic over in January this year, but this was followed by flare-ups in all three countries.