MANILA: A senior cabinet official announced
that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been banned from seeking
deployment in the three West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and
Sierra Leone due to the Ebola virus scourge.
Secretary Rosalinda
Baldoz of the Department of Labour and Employment disclosed the ban was
imposed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration as
recommended by the Department of Foreign Affairs, which raised Alert
Level 2 after the three countries declared an Ebola outbreak.
Jul. 3, 2014, 5:18 PM ...The United Nations health agency said on Thursday it expected the worst Ebola outbreak in history to continue its deadly rampage through west Africa for at least "several months". The highly-contagious tropical bug has infected hundreds of people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with the latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures showing that confirmed or suspected cases had left 467 people dead and experts fearing it could spread throughout the region. Keiji Fukuda, the UN agency's assistant director-general of health security, said at the close of a regional summit of health ministers on the crisis it was "impossible to give a clear answer" on how far the epidemic could spread or when it might begin to retreat. "I certainly expect that we are going to be dealing with this outbreak minimum for a few months to several months," he told AFP. "I really hope for us to see a turnaround where we begin to see a decrease in cases in the next several weeks." Marie-Christine Ferir, of medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders (MSF), echoed the assessment, saying the outbreak could "continue for about a few weeks, or perhaps months in certain parts".
The warning came as health ministers from 12 nations wrapped up two days of talks in Accra with global experts in communicable diseases, with debate raging over the measures required to stop Ebola in its tracks. They were expected to make a raft of recommendations to regional governments and to WHO on containing the disease, including the launch of a $10 million war chest to boost medical aid in the worst hit regions....
The death rate for Ebola has been widely but incorrectly reported as "90 percent" by global media and some scientists, probably because around that percentage died in the original outbreak and a subsequent epidemic in neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville in 2003. 'Out of control' The mortality rate in the west African epidemic is slightly lower than the average, at 61.5 percent, but it dwarves every other outbreak in terms of the geographical spread and the number of cases and deaths.
MSF said last week the outbreak was "out of control", with more than 60 hotspots. However, experts say those who receive correct care -- paracetamol to contain fevers, rehydration for diarrhoea and antibiotics for secondary infections -- have a greatly improved chance of survival.... http://www.businessinsider.com/un-ebola-outbreak-is-likely-to-last-for-months-2014-7
West African countries and
international health organizations adopted a fresh strategy on Thursday
to fight the world's deadliest Ebola epidemic, which has killed hundreds
of people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. At a two-day meeting in
the Ghanaian capital, Accra, officials committed to better surveillance
to detect cases of the virus, enhance cross-border collaboration, better
engagement with local communities and closer cooperation with the U.N.
Ministers. Ministers also recommended setting up a sub-regional control
center in Guinea to coordinate technical support. The decisions involve
governments, the United Nations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, aid agencies and the private sector. According to the
World Health Organization, at least 467 people have died of the virus
since February. The meeting's final communique made no reference to
increased financial support for the effort and there was little detail
about how the measures would be implemented.
The
Vancouver, British Colombia-based company said in a statement today
that it has received verbal notice from the FDA that the TKM-Ebola Phase
I healthy volunteer clinical study has been placed on clinical hold.
Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp. (TSE:TKM),
a developer of RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics, crumbled in
morning trade after the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Puts
its Ebola drug study on hold.
Shares fell 12.4 percent to C$12.81 at 9:33 a.m. in Toronto, paring this year's rally to 52 percent.
The Vancouver, British Colombia-based company said in a statement
today that it has received verbal notice from the FDA that the TKM-Ebola
Phase I healthy volunteer clinical study has been placed on clinical
hold.
This notice applies only to this study, it said.
"We have completed the single ascending dose portion of this study in
healthy volunteers without the use of steroid pre-medication," Chief
Executive Officer Dr. Mark Murray said in the statement.
"The FDA has requested additional data related to the mechanism of
cytokine release, observed at higher doses, which we believe is well
understood, and a protocol modification designed to ensure the safety of
healthy volunteer subjects, before we proceed with the multiple
ascending dose portion of our TKM-Ebola Phase I trial." "We will continue our dialogue with the FDA, provided for under our
Fast Track status, in order to advance the development of this important
therapeutic agent."
The TKM-Ebola Phase I clinical trial is a randomized, single-blind,
placebo-controlled study and involves single ascending doses and
multiple ascending doses of TKM-Ebola. The study is assessing the
safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of administering TKM-Ebola to
healthy adult volunteers without administering any steroid
pre-medications. http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/55171/tekmira-tumbles-after-fda-puts-ebola-drug-on-clinical-hold-55171.html
As death toll from latest outbreak of world’s deadliest virus climbs
to 467, health workers battle misinformation and mistrust in effort to
contain the disease
When ebola first struck Pujeh, a village deep in Sierra Leone’s
forested interior region, residents did what they always do when a
mysterious illness brings death: they consulted the traditional healer.
But the elderly herbalist soon caught one of the world’s most contagious
diseases, and then became a source for spreading it as visitors
streamed in.
By the time officials had pinpointed Pujeh as a hotspot for the
disease months later, dozens had died. “The people living in these areas
said there’s no such thing as ebola,” said a district doctor who spoke
on condition of anonymity. “They have their traditional beliefs and
their traditional cures and they look up to their traditional leaders.
Until we can bring the traditional leaders onside, it will be very
difficult to convince them that ebola even exists.”
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As
the death toll from the latest outbreak of the world’s deadliest virus
climbed to 467 – far exceeding the previous most lethal outbreak which
killed 254 people in Congo – officials and health workers are battling a
surge of infections propelled by misinformation and doubt about the
disease’s existence on one side, and mistrust of scandal-hit governments
on the other.
Following a World Health Organisation
warning that the illness is “out of control” in Guinea, Liberia and
Sierra Leone, west African health ministers on Wednesday began a two-day
summit in Ghana’s capital of Accra to discuss ways to strengthen
regional co-operation. The global health body has also warned four other
west African countries – Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali and Guinea Bissau –
to prepare for the possible arrival of travellers carrying the virus.
Some government officials have disputed the WHO’s statement, saying
the increasing death toll is a sign of better surveillance. “We are not
saying everything is okay but there are fewer people dying in silence
now, which is a good thing – the more we can identify when and where
there are fatalities, the better we can prevent further cases,” health
ministry official Sakouba Keita said from Guinea’s capital of Conakry.
The country has been the hardest hit by the virus, which first
appeared there in February, before spreading through the tropical
forests that sprawl into Liberia and Sierra Leone. More disturbingly, it has also jumped to all three countries’ densely-populated capitals.
“This is different from other cases just by the fact it’s a
cross-border epidemic. Previous outbreaks have been very localised,
which makes them easier to isolate and contain. Now for the first time,
it’s also affecting urban areas,” said Dr Nestor Ndayimirije, Liberia’s
WHO representative who has handled epidemics in several other countries.
Ebola was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo and
Sudan in 1976, which suffered simultaneous outbreaks of different
strains miles apart.
It was named after Congo’s Ebola river, where its most lethal mutation – the Zaire strain – infected 318 people and killed 280.
..... Daily reports from Liberia’s ministry of health provide a glimpse of
just how big the hurdles are. On the eve of the regional summit, two
suspected cases from Voinjama had travelled to the capital Monrovia –
but specimens hadn’t been collected because “the county laboratory
supervisor could not be found,” internal notes said. The report also warned of an acute shortage of thermometers among a
team dispatched to trace those who might have been in contact with
suspects. Many of them feared taking temperatures in case they were
exposed to the disease or attacked by locals, it added.
But an alarmingly wide spread is partly down to geography. “The
deaths have been increasing because of traditional burial rites in that
region,” said Tolbert Nyenswah, Liberia’s deputy chief medical officer.
The Kissi ethnicity, found in all three countries, traditionally keep
their dead at home for several days, and mourners touch the deceased’s
head frequently before burial.
Ebola has a fatality rate of up to 90% and is transmitted through
contact with fluids of infected people or animals, like urine, sweat,
blood and saliva, even after death. A doctor in Sierra Leone said patients’ families often attempted to
break them out of treatment centres – often successfully. “Some of them
are in denial and that it is something they can treat at home, and faith
healers are one of the problems for us. When you have patients
disappearing like that, you don’t know where the virus will appear
next.”
When trader Fiya Lasana was diagnosed with suspected ebola in a
clinic in Sierra Leone’s Kailahun district, he was put under quarantine.
But convinced he had only malaria, he slipped out. Days later he
returned, weak and dazed, for treatment. “My family tried prayers, but
that didn’t work, so I returned,” said Lasana, who was declared
ebola-free after eleven days.
Liberia’s president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, on Monday issued a
warning on state radio that anyone suspected of holding ebola patients
in homes or churches would be prosecuted. The disease has also revealed alarming mistrust between citizens and
public office holders in a region with shocking corruption levels.
Ebola was initially viewed as a government conspiracy to depopulate
Sierra Leone’s Kailahun district, and fierce resistance to the arrival
of health workers culminated in the stoning of a Doctors Without Borders
vehicle. In Liberia, many remain adamant the outbreak is a hoax from
government officials seeking to distract from a series of recent
scandals, or for health officials to rake in public funds. “I will say this loud, the government of Liberia has come up with a
new strategy to divert the Liberian people’s mind,” student Alfred
Randall said. “We understand the issue of ebola, ebola is real, we agree
the virus is a very terrible virus, but ebola is not in Liberia,” he
said.
Health workers at the frontline of the battle – often the first to
die – face other challenges. Last week, riots broke out and an ambulance
was attacked as family members fought to reclaim a victim’s corpse from
a hospital in Kenema, Sierra Leone’s third largest city. On the same
day, a three-man burial team was chased out of the Liberian town of
Banjol where they went to bury a victim. “We need to find a special
place to bury these corpses, if not, the bodies will keep piling up on
us,” a member of the team said, adding that families often refused to
come forward to identify dead relatives for fear of catching it. Officials and several hundred researchers who have poured into all
three countries have scrambled to disseminate public information, seen
as key to containment.
But when the outbreak first began, popular text messages circulating
in Guinea said an antidote could be found in a concoction of hot
chocolate, coffee, milk, raw onions and sugar.
“Ebola, ebola, ebola. I hear it everywhere,” said Adama Sherry from
behind her market stall in Sierra Leone’s Tombo, a fishing village as
yet unaffected by the virus. Sherry admitted she couldn’t list the
symptoms, causes or precautions.
Nearby, a local school had recently emptied out when word spread of
routine blood tests being carried out – rumour had it that the needles
would infect children with ebola. Liberia’s health ministry has begun putting images of ebola-ravaged
corpses in newspapers and on television. “They are very graphic but it
is working – people are starting to see that ebola is not just a
spiritual thing that you can cure through going to church,” Nyenswah,
the deputy chief medical officer, said.
Ironically, survivors often face a “second disease” of
stigmatisation. Aissata Bangoura’s family have refused to speak to her
since her husband died in March, even though she has been declared
virus-free.
“During my husband’s wake, I was left standing by myself. People I
have known my whole life didn’t want to approach me. As far as they’re
concerned, I’m a widow and a leper,” she said. • Donal MacCrann in Tombo, Sierra Leone and Wade Williams in Monrovia, Liberia contributed to this report http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/02/-sp-ebola-out-of-control-west-africa
Dr. Samuel Muhumuza Mutoro and his wife and baby during happier days.
PHOTO/Fred Turyakira
newvision
By Clare Muhindo & Taddeo Bwambale
A Ugandan
senior surgeon has succumbed to the Ebola virus in Liberia where he had
been working for three years as a health specialist.
Dr. Samuel Muhumuza Mutoro died on Tuesday at the John F. Kennedy
Medical Centre, Liberia’s biggest hospital in Monrovia where he was
being treated. Muhumuza was a surgeon assigned to Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town
on a contract with the Liberian government and the World Health
Organisation (WHO).
At the time of his death, Muhumuza is said to have volunteered to treat a
colleague who was infected with Ebola, thereby exposing himself to the
deadly disease.
His wife, Diana Namusoke, a mother of three, told New Vision that the family was notified about his death by an official from Liberia’s government
Rev Jehoida Mutoro of South Rwenzori Diocese, the only brother of the
deceased said the bereaved family have been advised against travelling
to Liberia as earlier planned.
A requiem mass is scheduled this morning at 9:00am at Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
Costa Bwambale, a brother-in-law of the deceased, described the Muhumuza
as a ‘very determined’ person, who even repeated class in order to
achieve his dream of becoming a medical doctor
It is believed that yesterday Muhumuza’s remains were disposed of
immediately since World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines recommend
the immediate disposal of Ebola victims.
At his home in Mbaguta cell, Ruharo, in Mbarara neighbours gathered and held a wake to commiserate with the relatives.
Health ministers from 11 African countries
are meeting in Accra, Ghana, in an attempt to "get a grip" on the deadly
and worsening Ebola outbreak. So far, 763 people have been infected with the virus - and 468 of these have died.
Most of the cases have been in Guinea where the outbreak started.
But it has since spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone and is now the
biggest and most deadly Ebola outbreak the world has seen, say
officials.
Health officials from those countries, as well as Ivory Coast,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali,
Senegal, and Uganda will attend the meeting. "We're hoping to take decisions about how to enhance collaboration
and responses [of these countries] so we can get a grip and halt this
outbreak," said WHO spokesman Daniel Epstein "We need a strong response, especially along the shared border areas
where commercial and social activities continue between Guinea, Liberia
and Sierra Leone. That's unlikely to stop."
As a virologist at Public Health England, I spent a month at the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in April.
I was working for the WHO in south-east Guinea as part of the EU
mobile laboratory team testing blood samples for the Ebola virus and
confirming whether patients were infected or not.
When patients come into the MSF isolation facility, some walk in if
they are in the early stage of the disease; others are more seriously
ill and need an ambulance.
I also went out into the remote villages to help trace people who might be ill and help inform communities about the virus.
It is very challenging work. There is a lot of misunderstanding and mistrust of foreign nationals coming in and trying to help.
The biggest problem we had was people were not forthcoming about sick
members of the community and getting them to the isolation centre. Some
families were even hiding sick relatives and bodies.
The WHO says travel restrictions are highly unlikely, and in any case
unenforceable. These are porous borders where people travel freely to
see family and friends.
Ebola kills up to 90% of those infected. There is no vaccine or cure.
It spreads through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids.
The way to stop an outbreak is to isolate those who have it and
ensure no-one else is exposed. Medical staff are following up on
hundreds of people who have had contact with infected patients. They
have to be closely monitored for 21 days before they can be given the
all clear.
Ebola is a haemorrhagic fever, which can start suddenly with the
onset of high temperature, diarrhoea and vomiting. Some people fight the
virus and survive, but most do not. They start bleeding internally and
externally and eventually their organs shut down. Increasing hostility.
Understandably, there is a great deal of fear in these communities
and that is hindering the international effort to bring the virus under
control, say experts.
The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is working with
the World Health Organization and the Guinea Ministry of Health. It has
four isolation facilities in Guinea and more than 300 international and
local staff.
Tulip Mazumdar: "It is the worst Ebola outbreak in history" "We are seeing an increasing level of hostility borne out of fear in
some communities," said Dr Bart Janssens, MSF director of operations. "We can no longer go into a number of villages any more to follow up on people who have been in contact with Ebola patients."
The charity says health ministers from affected countries need to urgently improve public understanding of the disease. "This requires an important mobilisation of all possible community leaders from bottom to top, because we cannot do this alone" "We are now dealing with an extraordinary situation so we need more
resources to fight the epidemic and we need extra help to convince
communities to change their attitudes towards the virus." http://allafrica.com/stories/201407031208.html?viewall=1
Government has advised Ugandans to limit their travels to Liberia,
Guinea and Sierra Leone which have been hit by Ebola epidemic.
At least 467 people have died from the epidemic out of 759 reported cases, according to the World Health Organisation.
“The public is advised to limit their travel to any of the affected
countries until the situation is contained,” health minister, Dr
Ruhakana said at a press briefing on the threat on Thursday.
He, however, said Uganda has not issued a travel ban to three countries.
He advised travellers to observe precautionary measures instituted by
the respective countries.
The minister cautioned Ugandans with relatives living in the affected
countries to ‘keep on the alert in case their relatives return to the
country’ during this period.
Government has stepped up disease surveillance checks at border points,
especially for people coming from the affected countries.
Monrovia — The U.S. Government has donated
another supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the World
Health Organization to support the international response to the Ebola
outbreak which is affecting Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. The donation, including aprons, face masks, gowns, caps and cadaver
bags, are in addition to a previous donation by the U.S. Government.
Last week, the U.S. Government made a similar donation, including rubber
boots, coveralls and gloves, which will protect health workers who are
at the forefront of providing essential care to patients who are
suspected or confirmed to have the Ebola virus. Health workers who use
the protective equipment as recommended are protected from exposure to
blood or body fluids from infected patients. In presenting the items,
the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Liberia Mission
Director, John Mark Winfield, said the U.S. Government is committed to
helping in the fight against the spread of the Ebola virus.
World Health Organization Representative to Liberia Dr. Nestor
Ndayimirije, who received the donations, immediately passed the
essential equipment to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and
thanked the U.S. Government for the donations, which he said will help
boost Liberia’s response to the Ebola virus. Dr. Ndayimirije said
partnership was important in the fight against the outbreak, and urged
stakeholders to unite to improve the response by making sure no health
worker is infected and dies because of the lack of protective gear.
In receiving the PPE, Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bernice
Dahn, warned that communities and religious institutions should not try
to serve as health facilities. She said Liberians are still in the
denial stage, which is fuelling a deterioration of the situation. “At
this point, you do not know what you are dealing with,” Dr. Dahn said.
“So, don’t keep sick people in your homes or facilities. “ Three
weeks ago, Liberia experienced a second wave of the outbreak. Since that
time, more than 30 persons have died of the disease.
The U.S. Government has provided additional support to Liberia,
Guinea and Sierra Leone to mitigate the Ebola outbreak, which includes
supplying materials and messaging in communities to prevent the spread
of Ebola, training environmental health technicians, financial support
for deployment of field teams to the WHO Africa Regional Office and
WHO's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), training of
health workers in contact tracing, and the provision of essential
supplies for collection, preservation, transport and analysis of blood
specimens. http://allafrica.com/stories/201407031354.html?aa_source=slideout
Accra - Emergency talks on
containing the worst Ebola outbreak in history were due to wrap up on
Thursday, with ministers hoping to halt the virus' deadly rampage in
west Africa after a jump in the number of deaths.
The
highly-contagious tropical bug has infected hundreds of people in
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with the latest World Health
Organisation (WHO) figures showing that confirmed or suspected cases had
left 467 people dead and experts fearing it could spread throughout the
region.
Health ministers from 11 nations were due to finalise
two days of talks in Accra with global experts in communicable diseases,
with debate raging over the measures required to stop Ebola in its
tracks.
Jeremy Farrar, a professor of tropical medicine and
director of The Wellcome Trust charity, caused controversy as the talks
opened as he was widely quoted in global media calling on health
authorities to offer experimental medicines, not yet fully tested, to
patients.
"Tragic as these deaths and suffering are, humans are
not Guinea pigs," virologist Ian Mackay, associate professor at the
University of Queensland, told AFP, rejecting the suggestion.
"It's a very difficult situation made worse by the urgency of it."
Several
biotech companies and US universities are developing potential vaccines
for Ebola, at various stages of testing, but none anywhere in the world
is close to being licensed for distribution to the public.
"The question is: would these drugs be allowed to be used on UK citizens?" Mackay said.
"If the outbreak occurred there, or in the US, or Australia, would this be ethically acceptable in these countries?"
'Out of control'
Ebola
can fell its victims within days, causing severe fever and muscle pain,
weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea -- in some cases shutting down organs
and causing unstoppable bleeding.
Medical charity Doctors Without
Borders, known by its French initials MSF, said last week that the
spread of the virus, which has had a mortality rate of up to 90 percent
in previous outbreaks, was "out of control", with more than 60 outbreak
hotspots.
Ministers from Guinea, where 413 confirmed, suspected
and probable cases have surfaced so far including 303 deaths, and
Liberia, which has seen 107 cases and 65 deaths, are at the meeting.
Sierra Leone, which has recorded 239 cases and 99 deaths, is also represented.
In
addition, officials from Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Gambia and
Guinea-Bissau, along with Ghana and countries as far afield as Uganda
and the Democratic Republic of Congo are attending.
They have
been joined by a host of UN agencies and other aid organisations,
including MSF and the Red Cross, as well as personnel from disease
control centres in western Africa, the United States, Britain and the
European Union.
One of the biggest obstacles to combatting the
epidemic, say health experts, has been traditional practices - such as
touching the bodies of victims at their funerals - which are causing the
virus to spread.
Ministers and experts have set out a strategy
placing traditional village elders - who are often more influential than
foreign medical experts among the traditional forest-dwelling
populations at the epicentre of the outbreak - at the forefront of an
education drive, a delegate told AFP.
"We have agreed to mobilise
community leaders to be active participants in the efforts to curb the
spread of the disease by building their confidence to trust the health
workers who are in their communities," said Abdulsalami Nasidi, of the
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Debate-rages-on-action-to-halt-W-African-Ebola-20140703-2
Hundreds of West Africans could be carrying the deadly Ebola virus and not
know it, potentially infecting hundreds more, as cash-strapped governments
and overwhelmed aid agencies struggle to contain the virus's spread.
At least 1,500 people have not yet been traced who are known to have come into
contact with others confirmed or suspected to be infected with the
haemorrhagic fever, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) told The Telegraph.
Many more could be moving freely in the three countries battling the virus,Guinea,LiberiaandSierra
Leone, but fear of the illness and mistrust of Western medicine
means they refuse to come forward to speak to doctors.
The current outbreak is the worst ever. So far 467 people have died and health
staff have identified at least 292 other suspected or confirmed cases.
Ebola is transmitted by coming into contact with bodily fluids of an infected
person. It has no cure and as many as 90 per cent of its victims die, often
from uncontrollable internal and external bleeding.
Health authorities in Glasgow and organisers of the Commonwealth Games, which
start in the city on July 23, said they were "monitoring the situation
on a daily basis" because a team from Sierra Leone was coming to
compete."Based on current advice from the World Health Organisation, we estimate
the risk to the delegates from Sierra Leone is extremely low," the
statement said.
The outbreak was now "out of control" in the three affected
countries and could quickly spread across West Africa, according to MSF,
which is leading efforts to deal with cases.
The virus's spread appeared to have been cut off in late April, when 74 people
had died and Alpha Conde, Guinea's president, said the situation was "well
in hand" and "touch wood there won't be any new cases".
But a rare mix of highly mobile populations, mistrust of outsiders, a fear of
being diagnosed and treated, traditional burial practices, and a lack of
funding all mean Ebola flared again.
The number of cases jumped by 129, or 38 per cent, in the week from June 25 to
July 2, the WHO said.
Health staff have even been attacked. The Red Cross in Guinea said it had been
forced to temporarily suspend some operations in the country's southeast
after staff working on Ebola were threatened on Wednesday.
"Locals wielding knives surrounded a marked Red Cross vehicle," a
Red Cross official said, asking not to be named. An MSF centre elsewhere in
Guinea was attacked in April by youths saying the charity brought Ebola into
their country.
"I have covered six previous Ebola outbreaks and this is unprecedented,"
said Michel Van Herp, an epidemiologist with MSF in Belgium, who spent two
months in the region in March and April and is returning again shortly.
"It is unique in terms of the number of cases, where they are and how
they are spread, the difficulty of putting enough treatment centres where
they are needed, and the fact that these people move about so much."
MSF and other organisations including the British Red Cross are focused on
treating those cases that come to their specialised isolation wards, but
more needed to be done to reach out to the rest of the population, Mr Van
Herp said.
West African health ministers on Wednesday began a two-day emergency summit in
Accra, the Ghanaian capital, to improve co-ordination of their responses to
Ebola.
Money was needed urgently for drugs, basic protective gear and staff pay, said
Abubakarr Fofanah, Sierra Leone's deputy health minister.
"In Liberia, our biggest challenge is denial, fear and panic. Our people
are very much afraid of the disease," Bernice Dahn, Liberia's deputy
health minister, told Reuters on the sidelines of the Accra meeting.
"People are afraid but do not believe that the disease exists and because
of that people get sick and the community members hide them and bury them,
against all the norms we have put in place," she said.
The virus remains contagious even if the person it infected dies.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/guinea/10942598/Ebola-out-of-control-in-West-Africa-as-health-workers-rush-to-trace-1500-possible-victims.html
This Bulletin was last issued on Tuesday, 01 July 2014.
The outbreak of Ebola virus in West Africa continues to be of
significant concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) initially
identified the outbreak in forested areas of south eastern Guinea in
March 2014. There has been a significant number of confirmed cases in
Guinea and a smaller number in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The outbreak
has resulted in over 300 deaths.
The Ebola virus causes Ebola virus disease (EVD) in humans, with a
fatality rate of up to 90%. The symptoms of Ebola virus disease are
severe and can include high fever, muscle pain and weakness, headache
and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea and internal and
external bleeding. There is no known vaccine or cure for Ebola. The
virus can be transmitted to humans from wild animals or between humans
through bodily fluids, including blood, faeces and sweat. Transmission
can also occur through direct contact with the body of a deceased Ebola
patient.
Where possible, Australians should avoid travel to areas affected by
Ebola virus. Closely monitor the advice provided by local health
authorities and the WHO. Australians in West Africa are advised to
maintain strict standards of hygiene and avoid direct contact with
patients with Ebola or unknown illnesses. Avoid contact with any
objects that could have been contaminated with bodily fluids.
Travellers should avoid contact with wild animals and should not eat or
handle raw or undercooked animal products, such as blood and meat.
Know the symptoms of Ebola virus disease and see a healthcare
provider if they develop before or after travel. Be sure to tell your
healthcare provider that you have travelled to a region where Ebola was
present.
Australians are also advised that borders in the region may be closed
at short notice to contain the outbreak. Travellers should seek local
advice about border closures before travelling in the region.
For more information about the Ebola virus, see the WHO Ebola factsheet. For information about the current outbreak in West Africa, see the WHO disease outbreak news page.
http://smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/TravelBulletins/Ebola
The
World Health Organization (WHO) has called for "drastic action" to
contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which has killed almost 400
people. It is the world's largest outbreak in terms of cases, deaths and
geographical spread.
Graphic explaining the Ebola virus, showing the location of the
Marampa mine in Sierra Leone, where British company London Mining has
evacuated non-essential workers after an outbreak of the virus. Source:
PA
EVENT
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is convening a sub-regional
meeting of health ministers from 11 West African countries in Accra,
Ghana on 2-3 July in a bid to contain the spread of Ebola, a viral
haemorrhagic fever.
The WHO warned that the Ebola outbreak is developing into a
sub-regional epidemic already affecting Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra
Leone with a possible contagion into other neighbouring countries
including Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, and Senegal.
As of 23 June, 635 cases had been reported with almost 400 patients
dying of the virus. In Guinea, the committee on Ebola said that since
the outbreak began 277 cases had been confirmed and 174 have died, with
the majority of the victims located in Gueckedou, a southern town close
to the border with Sierra Leone and Liberia. In Sierra Leone, the Health
Ministry has raised concerns over patients who are self-discharging
from hospitals in Kenema district, a key diamond mining area, and
seeking refuge with family members. London Mining has already ordered
the evacuation of non-essential personnel. Affected people are increasingly likely to stay away from hospital to
seek traditional treatments as well as refuge from the stigma
associated with the disease, undermining efforts to contain the virus.
The increasing death toll raises the risk of further protests by the
community against the government health departments, hospitals, and
international agencies working in the health sector mainly in southern
Guinea and eastern Sierra Leone. In April, a mob attacked the medical
store of non-governmental humanitarian aid organisation Médecins Sans
Frontières (MSF) in Macenta, southern Guinea, disrupting operations and
vandalising the store.
They call him by his surname, Konneh. His manners are gentle and his
voice calm. He’s a volunteer with the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society,
always willing to help.
The 21-year-old lives in Kenema, one of the largest cities in Sierra
Leone. It’s a two-hour drive from his hometown of Daru, in the eastern
district of Kailahun, which has been most affected by the Ebola outbreak
in Sierra Leone.
As of 16 June, there were 92 confirmed cases of Ebola and 44 deaths
in Kailahun, according to the World Health Organisation, while several
cases have also been confirmed in the west of the country.
Konneh’s aunt and uncle, from Daru, both died from the disease.
First, they took his uncle to the treatment centre for Ebola in Kenema. Two days later, they brought his aunt.
“His wife was a nurse. My uncle got it from his wife,” Konneh says calmly. His cousin also died from the virus.
“When health workers start dying from Ebola, the entire health care
system is affected,” says Amanda McClelland, an emergency health officer
at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC). “Doctors and nurses are afraid to go to work or to treat patients, which is what we are seeing in Sierra Leone at the moment.”
But with proper training and by taking adequate precautions, health
care workers can safely treat Ebola patients. And the sooner treatment
can start, the greater the chances of survival.
Most of the people affected by Ebola in Sierra Leone are women as
they are the ones who take care of sick family members and relatives.
Women also care for the body of a person who has died, which can be highly infectious if not properly handled. Fear and fable
There is a lot of fear, denial and stigma attached to the highly
contagious disease, as it’s the first time it’s appeared in Sierra
Leone.
“I’m scared. Ebola, it’s dangerous. People are saying Ebola does not exist but I’ve seen it,” Konneh says.
Some communities are denying entry to government and aid workers,
while many of those who may have come into contact with the virus and
need to be watched disappear and cannot be monitored.
Some believe that Ebola is caused by witchcraft. One of the most
widespread stories related to the Ebola outbreak is this: a woman in a
village went on a journey and left a box at home, instructing her
husband not to open it. The husband opens the box and finds a snake inside, which tells the
husband not to reveal his presence or else the snake will kill everyone
in the village. The husband does not heed the warning and spreads the word about the snake’s presence. The snake goes on a killing spree.
Another story that has been spread around Kenema is that of the
doctors in the isolation ward administering lethal injections to people.
In the eyes of villagers, this explains why people never come back from
the isolation centre. “If people believe Ebola is real, we can control it,” Konneh explains. But a lack of understanding means people will often only believe what they see. And for those who accept that Ebola is a real disease, many believe
it’s always fatal and therefore don’t seek medical help when they have
the symptoms.
Fighting Ebola
However, to date, ten people have survived Ebola and have been
discharged from the hospital in Kenema and are back home with their
families. “An increase in awareness raising and outreach to communities will be
effective in dispelling erroneous stories and beliefs,” explains
Amanda. “Fighting stigma, changing behaviour and seeking hospital care as soon as possible are the key elements to fighting Ebola.”
As for Konneh, he knows what it’s like to receive help from the Red
Cross. His path into the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, which he joined
four years ago, was born out of tragedy. His father was taken and
killed during a time of conflict, along with his grandfather.
“The Red Cross came to my village and took care of us. When they
asked who wanted to be a volunteer, I said yes,” he recalls. Today, it’s
his turn to help take care of others. This blog is an edited piece by Cristina Estrada, IFRC
The IFRC is supporting the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society’s response
to the Ebola outbreak, educating people about how to protect themselves
from the virus and help prevent it spreading.
Similar emergency operations have been launched in Guinea and
Liberia. Preparedness operations are underway in the Ivory Coast, Mali
and Senegal in case the virus spreads even further.
The British Red Cross has sent a number of health workers to the region since the outbreak began – find out more.
Read more: Awareness campaigns the key to halting outbreak.
Read more: Ebola, a threatening disease for health workers.
Guinean
Health Minister, Remy Lamah, has said the number of confirmed Ebola
cases in Guinea has reached 286 out of which 182 people have died.
The number of Ebola cases has been increasing in spite of efforts by
the government and its health partners such as the World Health
Organisation and Doctors Without Borders.
So far MSF has disbursed $3m to help in the fight against Ebola in
Guinea and in some other treatment centres created in neighbouring
Sierra Leone.
“We must organise and mobilise more resources to fight against this
disease which has caused many deaths in the affected countries,” Marc
Poncin, MSF’s national emergency coordinator said. The head of disease prevention unit in Guinea’s health ministry,
Sakoba Keita, said 27 health workers had been affected by Ebola and 20
of them had died from the disease. Keita said, “This is why transportation and handling of bodies of
Ebola victims is now exclusively being done by special Red Cross teams
that have been well trained. “To sensitise the population about the disease, government has funded
about 15 non-governmental organisations to develop communication
strategies. “Also by moving from door-to-door advising the population on how to prevent themselves against the disease.”http://www.punchng.com/news/182-died-from-ebola-in-guinea-official/
* Mistrustful of doctors, dozens flee treatment
* Guinea, S.Leone, Liberia face world's worst Ebola outbreak
* As doctors struggle, locals resort to herbal bracelets
* Regional states to meet to coordinate response
By Umaru Fofana
KENEMA, Sierra Leone, June 30 (Reuters) - When Mohamed
Swarray contracted the deadly Ebola disease in June, he was
confined to a tented isolation ward at Kenema in eastern Sierra
Leone. But he didn't stay there long. Suspicious of the doctors in their masks and body-length
protective suits, he slipped out and fled to the capital
Freetown 300 km (185 miles) away. There, he was nursed in a
private home for a week before being traced by officials and
hurriedly returned, weak and frightened, to the Kenema unit. With West Africa facing the deadliest Ebola outbreak ever,
with 400 dead so far, this kind of fear and mistrust is driving
dozens of victims to evade treatment, frustrating foreign and
local doctors trying to contain the epidemic.
The outbreak in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia has left
some of the world's poorest states, with porous borders and weak
health systems undermined by war and misrule, grappling with one
of the most lethal and contagious diseases on the planet. Dr. Amara Jambai, Sierra Leone's director of disease
prevention and control, said at least 57 suspected and confirmed
Ebola cases were "missing", the victims having fled or gone
into hiding.
"When you lose cases that way, you will not know where the
next case will appear," he told Reuters.
Ebola causes fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhoea, and
can kill up to 90 percent of those it infects. Highly
contagious, it is transmitted through contact with the blood or
other fluids of infected people or animals.
"My biggest problem, as it stands, is getting people to
accept the disease," said Sheik Umar Khan, the doctor tasked
with leading the fight against Ebola in Kenema's hospital. "These escapes, emanating from fear and misunderstanding,
make our work even more difficult," he added.
Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says Ebola is
"out of control", located in at least 60 places across Guinea,
Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Guinea has rejected this warning, saying it has its epidemic
under control. But governments' reluctance to fully admit and
report the scale of outbreaks can also hamper containment.
The World Health Organization has called on other West
African States to prepare to tackle the disease and is
co-hosting a meeting of West African health ministers in Ghana
this week to try to strengthen the region's response. Swarray was tracked down in Freetown after messages about
his escape were broadcast on local radio. The nurse friend
treating him believed he had typhoid and is now being monitored
for Ebola. His mother, who travelled with him, is still missing.
The outbreak has spread since it first started killing
victims in Guinea's remote southeast in February. It reached the
capital Conakry and moved into neighbouring Liberia.
For months, Sierra Leone said its own suspected cases tested
negative. Then, late last month, it confirmed Ebola in its
remote northeast. Since then, there have been 191 laboratory
confirmed cases, including 63 deaths, with many more suspected. here
>HERBAL BRACELETS
Kenema, now on the frontline of Sierra Leone's fight against
Ebola, is located in the diamond-rich east. Attacked by rebels
during the 1991-2002 civil war, it has since become a bustling
regional hub, the West African nation's third largest city.
Sierra Leone's first Ebola case was a so-called 'sowei', a
traditional women's leader and healer who treated the sick
crossing over from Guinea, according to Dr Mohamed Vandi, the
chief medical officer for Kenema district.
By tradition, only women were allowed to touch or wash her
dead body, so the majority of the next cases were also women. Sierra Leone officials have since banned traditional
funerals and the bodies of Ebola victims must now be buried by
health workers clad in green protective suits and face masks.
Schools in the Kenema area are closed and travel restricted. At the Moala checkpoint on the road to Liberia, masked
health workers take the temperature of all travellers to monitor
for anyone who might be carrying a fever. But many still put faith in traditional methods. At the same Moala checkpoint, police and soldiers tied
herbal rope bracelets around travellers' wrists, telling them a
local traditional healer had been told in a dream that doing so
could ward off Ebola.
TERRIFYING RUMOURS
Posters on walls warn of Ebola symptoms, urging sufferers to
go to hospital. But Sierra Leone's health system is weak - the
country has the highest rate of maternal and infant deaths in
the world, according to U.N. figures. The Kenema isolation unit consists of two tents erected just
metres away from the main hospital, where two doctors and two
ambulances are based to cover a district of 800,000 people.
Donors and international health organisations have rushed
specialised equipment to the zone but staff complain about
shortages, even of basic items like gloves.
A local population with little knowledge of the disease can
be easily spooked by rumours. Vandi said stories were circulating that doctors were
removing limbs of Ebola victims before burying them. Police have
been deployed and last week fired tear gas at the hospital to
prevent relatives from trying to retrieve bodies. Terrified by such reports, Isata Momoh, who came down with
symptoms of the disease, initially fled the ambulance sent to
take her to the hospital. "When I thought I had the sickness I
ran away into the bushes and hid," she told Reuters. Momoh only emerged from hiding when the diarrhoea and
vomiting became too bad to bear. She was treated and recovered.
Khan rejected MSF's statement that the disease was out of
control in the region. He said more cases were coming to light
because of improved official surveillance. "People are coming to
terms with the fact Ebola is a reality," he said.
Vandi, the Kenema medical officer, said if the diamond town
could beat the disease, the rest of Sierra Leone could do so. Local people were wary of government reassurances, recalling
similar statements during the civil war years when rebel raids,
rather than disease, had traumatised the town. "One day the government would say the rebels had advanced to
within touching distance. The next it would say they had been
repelled, and you'd see them entering the town," said Karmoh
Kajue, an unemployed man nursing a beer at the Kenema Plaza bar.
(Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Peter
Graff) http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/30/health-ebola-leone-idUSL6N0PB4G120140630?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssHealthcareNews&rpc=401
Health workers inform people about the Ebola virus and how to prevent infection in Conakry, Guinea. File picture: Youssouf Bah
Monrovia, Liberia - Liberia's president warned Monday that anyone caught hiding suspected Ebola patients will be prosecuted.
In an interview with state radio,
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf expressed concern that some patients had been kept
in homes and churches instead of receiving medical attention.
“Let this warning go out: Anyone
found or reported to be holding suspected Ebola cases in homes or
prayer houses can be prosecuted under the law of Liberia,” Sirleaf said.
Her comments came just days after
Sierra Leone issued a similar warning, saying some patients had
discharged themselves from the hospital and had gone into hiding.
Health workers have encountered
resistance throughout the region ever since Ebola cases were first
confirmed in March, and some have even been attacked.
The outbreak of the disease in
West Africa is already the deadliest on record, with 635 cases and 367
fatalities, according to the latest World Health Organization numbers. A
majority of the deaths - 280 - have been in Guinea where cases were
first reported.
In an
update released Monday, Liberia's health ministry said the country had
recorded 49 deaths as a result of Ebola, 26 of which were confirmed by
laboratory tests.
Sierra Leone has tallied 46
deaths, according to numbers released last week. That number was revised
downward from 78, however, after Sierra Leone's government requested
that the World Health Organization only report laboratory-confirmed
fatalities.
Laboratory testing is the only way
to definitively confirm the presence of Ebola, though not all patients
are tested because some don't receive medical treatment and some die
before samples can be taken, especially in the early stages of an
outbreak.
There is no cure for the deadly
disease caused by the Ebola virus which has an incubation period of two
to 21 days and starts with fever and fatigue before descending into
headaches, vomiting, violent diarrhea and then multiple organ failure
and massive internal bleeding.
Some symptoms of the disease can
be treated, however, and health workers also stress the importance of
submitting patients for medical care so they can be isolated. Ebola
spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of infected people,
including blood and sweat.
Liberia's health ministry has set
up treatment centers and started a public service campaign to slow the
spread of the disease, including training health professionals to use
protective clothing while forbidding hospitals to turn away patients
with Ebola symptoms.
Sirleaf's comments on Monday seemed partly intended to dispel rumors in Liberia that the outbreak isn't real.
MONROVIA
(AA) – Grand Mufti Sheikh Abu Bakar Sumaworo said Muslim in Liberia
will observe the holy fasting month of Ramadan as of Sunday...
.. This year’s observance is putting special attention on sharing with
the less fortunate, including offering prayers for the nation which has
been plagued by the deadly Ebola virus. Mufti Sumaworo is still hopeful that the outbreak would not prevent
Liberian Muslims from travelling to the holy sites in Saudi Arabia. “We pray that the Almighty Allah grants us mercy to travel to Mecca in the midst of Ebola in our country,” he said. “We hope to send about five hundred people by the grace of Allah,” added the mufti. Since the outbreak of the Ebola Virus in Liberia and neighboring
Guinea, traveling to other countries has become a nightmare amid worries
of taking the virus to other countries. http://www.newstimeafrica.com/archives/34564
There are fears that people who are escaping an Ebola outbreak in the eastern provinces of Sierra Leone are putting others at risk because they aren't being checked for the deadly virus. Isata Sanoh ran away from Daru, a small town in the Kailahun district in the Eastern province of Sierra Leone, where there is an ebola outbreak. She is now living in the capital Freetown, where she is staying with family members. But Sanoh hasn't been checked for Ebola and so could potentially pass Ebola to the people around her.
There is no cure for the deadly disease caused by the Ebola virus which has an incubation period of two to 21 days and starts with fever and fatigue before descending into headaches, vomiting, violent diarrhoea and then multiple organ failure and massive internal bleeding. The virus can be transmitted through direct contact with the blood or secretions of an infected person, or objects that have been contaminated with infected secretions. Ebola kills more than half of its victims and treatment largely consists of keeping the patient hydrated as the disease runs its course.
Combating Ebola is a matter of stopping its spread by educating people about how to protect themselves and isolating the sick and dead since corpses are still contagious - and finding out who the infected have been in contact with to isolate them as well. "I ran away from Daru because of the Ebola outbreak," Sanoh said. "A lot of people have died there and a lot of my family have died. A medical nurse who was with the dead body of her mother died. The men who buried her also died on Monday."
Ebola was identified in Sierra Leone in late May just as it was hoped that the outbreak in Guinea and Liberia was winding down. It has since spread to at least two districts with 176 cases claiming at least 46 lives. Like the other countries, Sierra Leone formed a national task force with daily meetings and set up treatment centres in the affected areas. One of the main obstacles to stemming the disease has been combating popular fears which treated the disease as a "demonic" affair. In one recent case in the village of Sadialu, residents burned down the treatment centre over fears that the drugs being administered to victims were actually causing the disease.
The Health Ministry has also warned people that sheltering the infected is a crime and lamented that people were escaping from hospitals and hiding. The local media has also highlighted that for the first month of the outbreak, the government was reporting a substantially lower death toll than the World Health Organisation (WHO) because it was only listing confirmed Ebola fatalities, rather than suspected cases, as had been the usual practice.
On Wednesday, the WHO announced that it was changing its methodology for reporting Ebola fatalities - just in Sierra Leone - at the government's request, reducing the death toll by 32. The Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone is already the deadliest to date, with 635 cases and 367 fatalities, and is expected to be the longest on record, as some of the poorest countries in the world scramble to confront the fatal disease. The WHO says there is an "urgent need" to coordinate the response across the borders and is convening a meeting in Accra, Ghana, on July 1 with the three countries involved, as well as other nations that have experienced outbreaks in the past. -http://www.tvcnews.tv/article/sierra-leone-ebola-refugees-putting-others-risk
There
are fears that people who are escaping an Ebola outbreak in the eastern
provinces of Sierra Leone are putting others at risk because they
aren't being checked for the deadly virus.
Isata Sanoh ran away from Daru, a small town in the Kailahun district
in the Eastern province of Sierra Leone, where there is an ebola
outbreak.
She is now living in the capital Freetown, where she is staying with family members.
But Sanoh hasn't been checked for Ebola and so could potentially pass Ebola to the people around her.
There is no cure for the deadly disease caused by the Ebola virus
which has an incubation period of two to 21 days and starts with fever
and fatigue before descending into headaches, vomiting, violent
diarrhoea and then multiple organ failure and massive internal bleeding.
The virus can be transmitted through direct contact with the blood or
secretions of an infected person, or objects that have been
contaminated with infected secretions.
Ebola kills more than half of its victims and treatment largely
consists of keeping the patient hydrated as the disease runs its course.
Combating Ebola is a matter of stopping its spread by educating
people about how to protect themselves and isolating the sick and dead
since corpses are still contagious - and finding out who the infected
have been in contact with to isolate them as well.
"I ran away from Daru because of the Ebola outbreak," Sanoh said. "A
lot of people have died there and a lot of my family have died. A
medical nurse who was with the dead body of her mother died. The men who
buried her also died on Monday."
Ebola was identified in Sierra Leone in late May just as it was hoped that the outbreak in Guinea and Liberia was winding down.
It has since spread to at least two districts with 176 cases claiming at least 46 lives.
Like the other countries, Sierra Leone formed a national task force
with daily meetings and set up treatment centres in the affected areas.
One of the main obstacles to stemming the disease has been combating
popular fears which treated the disease as a "demonic" affair.
In one recent case in the village of Sadialu, residents burned down
the treatment centre over fears that the drugs being administered to
victims were actually causing the disease.
The Health Ministry has also warned people that sheltering the
infected is a crime and lamented that people were escaping from
hospitals and hiding.
The local media has also highlighted that for the first month of the
outbreak, the government was reporting a substantially lower death toll
than the World Health Organisation (WHO) because it was only listing
confirmed Ebola fatalities, rather than suspected cases, as had been the
usual practice.
On Wednesday, the WHO announced that it was changing its methodology
for reporting Ebola fatalities - just in Sierra Leone - at the
government's request, reducing the death toll by 32.
The Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone is already the
deadliest to date, with 635 cases and 367 fatalities, and is expected
to be the longest on record, as some of the poorest countries in the
world scramble to confront the fatal disease.
The WHO says there is an "urgent need" to coordinate the response
across the borders and is convening a meeting in Accra, Ghana, on July 1
with the three countries involved, as well as other nations that have
experienced outbreaks in the past.
- See more at: http://www.tvcnews.tv/article/sierra-leone-ebola-refugees-putting-others-risk#sthash.BqNeZy9R.ydJ9O0Mt.dpuf
In Guinea, the country most affected by the current outbreak of Ebola,
the record stands at 286 confirmed cases including 182 deaths, until
June 27, despite efforts by the Guinean government and health partners
whose WHO and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said Saturday the Guinean
Minister of Health, Remy Lamah.
Since the appearance of this malaidie in Guinea there about six months,
84 patients were grueries, while there were 89 probable cases and 86
suspected cases including 27 deaths.
Thanks to the synergy of action between partners fight against Ebola,
five prefectures (Dabola Dinguiraye, Macentra, Kissidougou and
Kouroussa) have not recorded new cases this week, welcomed Dr. Lamah.
However, in some foci of the epidemic, such as Guékédou Prefecture
(south), the number of deaths increases with 60% mortality, said Marc
Poncin, Ebola national emergency coordinator for MSF.
In this border town, 30% of inpatients come from villages in Sierra Leone.
MSF has provided about $ 3 million to meet expenses related to the
response against Ebola in Guinea and a processing center located in
Sierra Leone.
"We must organize and mobilize much funding in the fight against this
epidemic that made many victims in the populations of the affected
countries," said Mr. Poncin.
According Sakoba Keita, Division prevention and fight against the
disease, 27 health workers were affected and 20 of them lost their
lives.
It is for this reason that the transport and management of corpses
Ebola people are now assigned exclusively to specialized teams of the
Guinean Red Cross trained and equipped.
A team of Doctors Without Borders in center victims of Ebola Guekedou Guinea, April 1, 2014 afp.com - SEYLLOU
Sierra Leone announced Friday the award of 8 billion leones (about 1.32
million euros) in the fight against the epidemic of haemorrhagic fever
in large part due to Ebola has done since the beginning of the year
nearly 400 dead in three West African countries. This funding is for the awareness and prevention of the epidemic, but
also logistical needs of the teams deployed in the context of the fight,
told AFP an official of Sierra Leone Ministry of Health, Abubakarr
Kamara.
According to him, the amount will in particular make-to-door and
mobilize stakeholders in all districts affected by the epidemic.
It will also help in the management of medical and logistical
equipment, including the purchase of necessary for the protection of
personnel in contact with living patients or responsible for the burial
of deceased patients, as well as looking for people who have been in
contact with suspected cases.
This brings to 14 billion leones (2.31 million) funding from the
government of Sierra Leone in the fight against Ebola, according to a
source at the Ministry of Finance. The epidemic affects Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
According to a toll released Thursday by the World Health Organization
(WHO), these three neighboring countries account since the beginning of
the year 635 cases of hemorrhagic fever (a little more than half of the
cases were confirmed by analysis as being due to Ebola virus), including
399 deaths. According to the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health, Sierra Leone recorded
since early March 338 cases of hemorrhagic fever which 179 were tested
positive for Ebola virus and causing 49 deaths. The same source, 18 people survived and healed, left the hospital in Kenema (East). 51 patients are still admitted in the hospital. Kenema and Kailahun (east) are among the most affected by the epidemic. From June 13 until further notice, schools Kailahun district are closed and public gatherings banned by the government.
According to residents, the fear of Ebola has pushed people to reduce
their travel there and avoid physical contact to a minimum. In Liberia, the government warned Friday against persons claiming to cure Ebola by spiritual or religious rituals. "In this country, we have + spiritual healers + or pastors who say they
can cure all diseases" in "the + spiritual centers +" installed "in
Monrovia and its environs. They claim to have the solutions to all
problems. Three of these + + healers have died of Ebola, "said the
Deputy Minister of Health, Tolbert Nyensuah, national radio, without
specifying where and when.
Through their actions and through their "+ + centers", these
individuals "create many difficulties in the fight against the Ebola
virus" and contribute to its spread.
"We ask people to go to the hospital in case of illness, instead of
going to these centers + +. (...) The situation is deteriorating with
the many cases that have been recorded in a very short time" in the
country, said the deputy minister.
According to WHO, until Thursday, 63 cases of hemorrhagic fever (41
deaths) were recorded in Liberia, mostly in the regions of Lofa
(northwest) and Montserrado (west), where is located the capital
Monrovia . Some cases have also been reported from Margibi (northwest) and Nimba (north). http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afriscoop.net%2Fjournal%2Fspip.php%3Farticle12203
