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Sierra Leone’s Deputy Health Minister I opens up on South-South Cooperation, Post Ebola Recovery and Capacity Building in the Health Sector

Sierra Leone is recovering from the impact of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak which struck in mid 2014. Before Ebola, the country had made steady progress towards a number of the Millennium Development Goal targets in the health and nutrition sectors like reduction in child and maternal mortality.  A 2014 National Nutrition Survey also confirmed major improvements in levels of under-nutrition. (Ref: Sierra Leone Ebola Recovery Strategy).

The health sector, notwithstanding the successes scored, has been faced with a number of challenges. In fact due to Ebola, by January 2015, a total of 296 health care workers were known to have been infected with the virus with 221 deaths (74.6 percent). The outbreak, health experts believe, led to a decline in the use of health care facilities for non-Ebola related health needs across the country.

 

 

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Fifth person dies in Guinea Ebola flare-up

A fifth person has died of Ebola in southeast Guinea since March 17, a health official told Reuters on Tuesday, raising concerns that a recent flare-up of the deadly virus could spread.

The latest case was detected in Macenta prefecture, about 200 kilometers from the village of Korokpara where the four other recent Ebola-related deaths occurred, said Fode Sylla Tass, spokesman for National Coordination of the Fight against Ebola in Guinea.

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Guinea monitoring 816 Ebola contacts following flare-up

CONAKRY (Reuters) - Guinea's Ebola coordination unit has traced an estimated 816 people who may have come into contact with victims of the disease or their corpses during a recent flare-up in a village in the country's southeast, a health official said on Monday.

Guinea said on Thursday that it had discovered new cases of Ebola just hours after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared neighbouring Sierra Leone's latest outbreak over. Four people have died in the flare-up in Porokpara.

"Since the start of the tracing on Saturday, we have traced 816 contacts in 107 families," Fode Tass Sylla, spokesman for the coordination unit, said on state television. "We are optimistic because everyone is motivated and cooperating."

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As Health Sector conclude performance review: Secretary to Cabinet says more room for improvement

Staff of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation together with partners over the weekend concluded a three-day annual performance review.
Held at CATCO Hall, Wilkinson Road, various cadre of staff including international and local partners were opportune to table and mirror activities as well as programmes implemented to see the challenges and success made in 2015.
At the formal opening of the review, Alhassan Kanu from the Health Sector, Directorate of Planning stated that the objective is to provide a comprehensive picture of the ministry’s performance  generally as well as highlighting the status of the 6-9 months implementation, to document the implementation challenges for the ministerial performance contract, individual senior officials’ performance and service delivery at su

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Key facts about Ebola epidemic two years after it was first declared

 

Two years after the world's worst known outbreak of Ebola was first identified, West Africa is still experiencing small flare-ups, the most recent in Guinea.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the deadly haemorrhagic virus could resurface at any time, since it can linger in the eyes, central nervous system and bodily fluids of some survivors.

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West Africa vulnerable to new major Ebola outbreak as vigilance fades

 

The three West African nations ravaged by Ebola could struggle to prevent another major outbreak as vigilance fades among health workers and the public, a health expert said on Monday.

Ebola victims in recent flare-ups in Liberia and Sierra Leone were inspected by health workers who were not wearing protective clothing, while the corpse of one woman victim was washed by several people, contrary to best practice.

Health facilities must reinforce infection prevention and control measures or risk widening the spread of new Ebola outbreaks, according to Armand Sprecher, public health specialist at medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

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Traditional healers can play a critical role in post Ebola recovery

In many villages in Liberia, it has long been part of the culture for people to routinely search out the services of witch doctors or traditional healers when they are not feeling well. Patients believe they can get better and more affordable treatment, and with access to a basic health care system limited, a traditional healer is the first stop for most when sick. Traditional procedures can include magic, fasting or dieting, bathing, massage, and surgery. Some traditional healers apply blood to the patient’s skin to cure them of their illness.

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Sierra Leaone, Liberia, Guinea still at risk of Ebola – WHO

The World Health Organization has joined the government of Sierra Leone in marking the end of the recent flare-up of Ebola virus disease in the country, but warned that the country, Liberia and Guinea are still at risk.

“As of today, March 17, 42 days have passed, two incubation cycles of the virus, since the last person confirmed to have Ebola virus disease in the country tested negative for a  second time,” a statement issued by the WHO and copied to the Ghana News Agency said.

“This latest flare-up of Ebola brings to 3,590 the number of lives lost in Sierra Leone to an epidemic that devastated families and communities across the country and disrupted every aspect of life. Today marks another milestone in the country’s effort to defeat Ebola,” it said.

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Preventing Diseases From Crossing Borders in West Africa Post-Ebola

Preventing Diseases From Crossing Borders in West Africa Post-Ebola:

 

When the Ebola outbreak was confirmed in Guinea two years ago, one of the reasons the virus spread so quickly was due to the high amount of people traffic across the borders of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. To mitigate the introduction of new Ebola cases or other diseases by cross border travellers, the Red Cross has introduced a community event-based surveillance system. It is successful, in large part, due to the engagement of community members.

Settled near the Kolantin River, a Red Cross health screening post is now part of the picturesque landscape at the popular Binticabaya border crossing between Guinea and Sierra Leone. Outfitted with a hand washing kit, a thermometer, and a register, volunteers at the screening post are ready to monitor people crossing the river between the two countries.

"I cross twice a week to visit my wife who lives in a nearby village in Sierra Leone," says one soldier as he stops to wash his hands before going for his temperature check.

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