European Union offers condolences, support for Samoa

By Adel Fruean 14 December 2019, 11:00AM

The European Union has offered its condolences to victims of the measles epidemic in Samoa through its Ambassador-designate, Sujiro Seam.

“I would like to convey the condolences and support of the EU for the outbreak of the measles that the state of Samoa has to face,” said Mr. Seam.

He added that the E.U. is very far away and health is not their primary role.

“But as good friends for Samoa when we heard news of this terrible outbreak of measles we activated our European Civil Protection Mechanism.

“It allows us to channel through the World Health Organisation medical assistance.

“This medical assistance took the form of medical teams sent from French Polynesia and Norway.”

Mr. Seam told the local media that he plans to visit the Norwegian medical team who are still on the ground in Samoa.

“I hope I can visit them before depart to have their own assessment of the situation but that is the assistance provided by E.U.

“We mobilised the civil protection mechanism to finance medical teams and medical teams are deployed from our countries.

“The French medical team was 10 strong and the Norwegian team is 20 strong and mainly emergency medical teams with specialization in paediatrics because most of the affected are children and infants so paediatricians came from French Polynesia.”

The E.U. Ambassador designate said that they mobilised the civil protection mechanism to finance medical teams and medical teams are deployed from our countries.”

A total of nine nurses and a doctor from French Polynesia also delivered lifesaving immunoglobulin to Samoa’s most vulnerable babies sick with measles.

 Norway has sent 16 medical professionals and four support staff to Samoa.

 

 

 

By Adel Fruean 14 December 2019, 11:00AM

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