In 2014, #Guinea was declared ground zero for the Ebola outbreak, and before it was brought under control in January 2016, there were more than 3,300 confirmed Ebola cases in the country.
During the peak of the rapid spread of the disease, people were afraid to go to the hospital because of low levels of trust in government and poor delivery of health services in general. People were less willing to accept Ebola as real, nor did they embrace social messaging aimed at reinforcing behavior change to save lives.
In the aftermath of the 2014-2016 epidemic and in the face of its reemergence in the Democratic Republic of #Congo, USAID is working with partners, communities and policymakers to help Guinea recover and stay resilient. Through a combination of hospital renovations, medical equipment donations and community engagement, USAID is helping to rebuild the people’s trust in the healthcare system so they will resume using hospitals and clinics.
https://go.usa.gov/xRj8K

Under Secretary Thomas A. Shannon will travel to Vienna, #Austria, July 20-22, to lead the U.S. delegation to the Joint Commission meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding #Iran’s nuclear program. Under Secretary Shannon will be accompanied by experts and officials from relevant U.S. government agencies.
JCPOA participants attending the Joint Commission meeting will include all the members of the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States), the European Union, and Iran. go.usa.gov/xRbRR

“While ISIS continued to receive most of the headlines and remains a top focus for U.S. and international CT efforts, #Iran remained the foremost state sponsor of terrorism globally.” - Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Justin Siberell on the Release of Country Reports on #Terrorism 2016
https://go.usa.gov/xRbqC

In #BurkinaFaso and #Niger — both in the bottom 20 of worst places to be a girl, with Niger ranked the worst — local women participating in USAID’s Resilience in the #Sahel Enhanced (RISE) program are playing a major role in helping their communities overcome health and food security obstacles, often serving as leaders.

With the findings of the 2016 Country Reports on Terrorism, the State Department will continue to devote resources towards improving the #counterterrorism capabilities of key partner countries as well as focusing long-term efforts in addressing the drivers of violent extremism.

Learn more about the reports: 

Today the State Department released its annual report, Country Reports on Terrorism 2016, which provides the Department of State’s annual Congressionally-mandated assessment of trends and events in international #terrorism that transpired from January 1 to December 31, 2016. The report provides policy-related assessments, country-by-country breakdowns of foreign government counterterrorism cooperation; and contains information on state sponsors of terrorism, terrorist safe havens, foreign terrorist organizations, and the global challenge of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear terrorism.

The Russian Supreme Court’s decision this week against the Jehovah’s Witnesses is the latest in a disturbing trend of persecution of religious minorities in #Russia. We urge the Russian authorities to lift the ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses’ activities in Russia, to reverse the closing of the Jehovah’s Witnesses Administrative Center, and to release any members of religious minorities that continue to be unjustly detained for so-called “extremist” activities.

We further urge Russia to respect the right of all to exercise the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. All religious minorities should be able to enjoy freedom of religion and assembly without interference, as guaranteed by the Russian Federation’s constitution.

The influence of Nelson Mandela and his example of servant leadership has transformed lives around the world. From his humble beginnings in the Eastern Cape of South Africa to freedom fighter and Father of a Nation, Nelson Mandela used his life to advance the lives of others. Therefore, every July 18, on his birthday, global citizens pay homage to Mandela by observing Mandela Day with works of service. This year, the State Department honored President Mandela with the #YALIServes campaign.

In 2010, the U.S. Department of State launched the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) to nurture the next generation of leaders in Africa, and in 2013, the Mandela Washington Fellows program emerged as an aspect of YALI to train young leaders in the areas of business and entrepreneurship, civic engagement and public management. https://go.usa.gov/xRgZj 

The United States Department of State is working to incorporate the revised Nelson Mandela Rules into its own penal reform programs worldwide. A partnership between the State Department and Colorado’s Department of Corrections has trained 1,050 corrections professionals from more than 20 countries in the operation of humane and transparent prisons.

On International Nelson Mandela Day, we commemorate a leader who championed human rights and freedom for all citizens. https://go.usa.gov/xRCsq