In This Issue:

- Leading the News

- United States – Africa Relations

- North Africa

- East Africa

- West Africa

- Sub-Saharan Africa

- General Africa News

- Excerpt from Leading the News:

West Africa Ebola Outbreak -

On December 11th, the United Nations (U.N.) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) said while the priority in West Africa is to stop the transmission of Ebola, response efforts must be linked to strengthening health care systems in Ebola-afflicted countries in the long term. ECOSOC also recommended that the proposed Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Africa be equipped with the latest technologies necessary to respond to public health crises and that investments should be use to strengthen West African countries’ national institutions.

On December 11th, the Malian Ministry of Health reported that there were no remaining cases of Ebola in the country upon the discharge of the last patient from the hospital. Six people in Mali have died from Ebola and another two patients who were infected recovered from the virus. Mali is yet to be officially declared Ebola-free, a status achieved by Nigeria and Senegal, who also had cases of Ebola earlier this year.