Link: Ebola Digest Wed 5 Nov
We'll be running these regularly for the time being - the link to the most recent edition of the excellent daily Ebola Digest. Today's article image is a table of cases and deaths per country correct as of yesterday.
There's a huge amount of info in this excellent daily resource and we suggest you check out the source. In the meantime we've reproduced the country-specific section of their news digest below, in the hope it may be of particular interest and use to our readers.
That link again: https://eboladigest.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/ebola-digest-wed-11514.html
REGIONAL SURVEILLANCE
Guinea
How Guinea Found the Best Way to Survive Ebola
time--As the world waits for new treatments and a vaccine, doctors in Guinea have found the best way to help patients survive Ebola
The scientist heading for Guinea who thinks he may find a cure
Scientists from one of the world's leading institutes of tropical medicine, which first discovered the Ebola virus in the 1970s flew out to Guinea yesterday to begin ground-breaking research into a possible cure for the disease, racing against the clock to find a ;...
Liberia
Liberians With Most Dangerous Job In The World Forced To Sign Away Their Rights
Liberian health workers on the front line of their country's Ebola response are being required to sign away their legal rights should they become infected with Ebola, or otherwise injured, on the job. "If you are in the unit and, God forbid, something happens to you, nobody is responsible for it," said Cecilia Davis, a Liberian who has been working in Ebola treatment wards since July. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare says it employs more than 1,000 local health workers in Ebola treatment units (ETUs) it runs jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO). Most of those workers are on short-term contracts — contracts that include an indemnity waiver so broad that global public health experts say they've never heard of anything like it before.
VIDEO: Liberian Muslim leader delivers key message on safe burials
UNICEF--In this public service announcement produced by UNICEF and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Sheikh Kafumba F. Konneh, Head of the Muslim Council of Liberia, tells Liberians why safe burial practices are essential to stopping the spread of Ebola.
Liberia: WFP West Africa Ebola Response Situation Report #11, 05 November 2014
3 pillars of WFP support: Delivering food alongside the health response; Ensuring the movement of partner staff and materials; and Providing common services and infrastructure support for health partners In numbers To date, in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone: ? 17,470 mt of food delivered to 1.3 million people since April 2014*; ? 1,741 responders transported by UNHAS, with two planes and one helicopter in operation; and ? 38,180 m3 of cargo transported. Highlight - Opening of WFP-constructed Ebola Treatment Unit in Monrovia On 31 October, a new Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) constructed by WFP was officially opened at the former Ministry of Defence site in Monrovia. For the past few weeks, 150 construction workers have been working three shifts a day to build this new treatment centre.
Liberia campaigns against citizens Ebola stigmatization
star africa--Liberia's Foreign minister Augustine Ngafuan has said the government is embarking on a campaign abroad on behalf of its citizens suffering stigmatization in their host countries due to the Ebola pandemic. Speaking during a daily Ebola press briefing in Monrovia Wednesday, Ngafuan said: â??Disturbing reports emanating from abroad speak of Liberians being stigmatized and discriminated [...]
Ebola treatment unit for medical workers to open
The Monrovia Medical Unit, an Ebola treatment unit constructed specifically for the treatment of medical workers who were infected while caring for Ebola patients, is scheduled to open Nov. 8, located about 30 miles outside Monrovia, Liberia.
US 100-Bed Ebola Unit Near Completion in Grand Bassa
all africa--U.S. Troops in Grand Bassa County have disclosed that a 100-bed Ebola Treatment Unit will be ready by November 18 and start treating patients in the county that are infected with the Ebola virus disease. Speaking to a group of reporters in ;...
President's adviser talks Ebola outbreak, misconceptions
daily northwestern--Dr. Robert Murphy, special adviser to the president's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in Nigeria, speaks Tuesday about the Ebola epidemic to an audience of about 25. Murphy discussed common misunderstandings surrounding the virus.
Liberia **Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Early Release November 4, 2014 / 63(Early Release);1-3** Gorbee Logan, MD1, Neil M. Vora, MD2, Tolbert G. Nyensuah, MPH3, Alex Gasasira, MD4, Joshua Mott, PhD5, Henry Walke, MD6, Frank Mahoney, MD7, Richard Luce, DVM4, Brendan Flannery, PhD5 (Author affiliations at end of text) As of October 29, 2014, a total of 6,454 Ebola virus disease (Ebola) cases had been reported in Liberia by the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, with 2,609 deaths (1). Although the national strategy for combating the ongoing Ebola epidemic calls for construction of Ebola treatment units (ETUs) in all 15 counties of Liberia, only a limited number are operational, and most of these are within Montserrado County.
USAID selects site for Ganta ETU
Representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development, Joint Forces Command United Assistance and the Armed Forces of Liberia met with Ganta city officials Nov. 3 to select the site of a planned 100-bed Ebola treatment unit.
DoD: Ebola mission won't be scaled back
airforce times--The Pentagon has no plans to scale back its response to the Ebola outbreak, Defense Department spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said Tuesday.
Sierra Leone
Map Action--Map shows the GSM mobile phone network coverage for districts in Sierra Leone, based on data received from the ETC. This is a combined coverage map for all networks operating in the country.
Just off the busy Congo Cross roundabout in Freetown, Daniel Sewah is reorganizing the contents of the four-wheel drive which carries the members of "Burial Team 7." It's the start of another busy for those managing the safe removal and burial of bodies in Sierra Leone's capital -- although no one yet realizes just how busy it will be. Since the city was declared a high-transmission zone, the body of every person who dies outside of a hospital must be brought for what is described as a medical burial, whether or not they displayed symptoms of the Ebola virus. This involves a team of people wearing full protective equipment and adhering to strict protocols. The elaborate procedures may at times appear excessive, but this is an essential part of breaking the chain of transmission.
VIDEO: Ebola sick urged to stay at new centre
BBC--A British-run facility to treat people with Ebola near the Sierra Leone capital, Freetown has opened.
Sierra Leone: Ebola outbreak: Braving threats to bury Sierra Leone dead
As Mariatu Kagbo makes her way up the steep hillside from her family home and walks towards the main road, several people shout out "Ebola!" At best, they mean it as a taunt. At worst it is a threat - an expression of the fear people hold in Old Wharf, a poor suburb outside Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, that Ms Kagbo could bring the virus back home with her from her new job.
Sierra Leone: Ebola outbreak in Koinadugu, Sierra Leone, prompts call for help from chief
At least 25 people have died and 38 believed to be infected in district previously unaffected by virus The leader of a remote chiefdom in Sierra Leone has called for urgent help to contain Ebola, which is causing fear and panic in his community. The fresh outbreak of Ebola in Koinadugu, a district previously unaffected by the virus, has affected more than 60 people in a small chiefdom close to Guinea, the Red Cross has said.
Ebola outbreak in Koinadugu, Sierra Leone, prompts call for help from chief
Guardian--At least 25 people have died and 38 believed to be infected in district previously unaffected by virusThe leader of a remote chiefdom in Sierra Leone has called for urgent help to contain Ebola, which is causing fear and panic in his community.The fresh outbreak of Ebola in Koinadugu, a district previously unaffected by the virus, has affected more than 60 people in a small chiefdom close to Guinea, the Red Cross has said. Continue reading...
Living with Ebola in Freetown: "It feels like the whole country is in quarantine"
Since the first cases of Ebola were reported in Mach, life in Sierra Leone has changed beyond recognition. So far, the World Health Organization has confirmed more than 5,200 Ebola cases in Sierra Leone alone and more than 13,700 across the world. More than 4,500 people have died of the disease - 1,500 in my home country. Friends abroad often ask me what life is like here at the moment. I can only describe it as horrifying. Every morning, I wake up in my house in Freetown with the sound of the terrifying pictures and stories coming out of the TV and the radio. People are desperately trying, and in many cases failing, to get medical help that would make the difference between life and death. Doctors and nurses are at breaking point. Entire communities are quarantined, lacking access to sufficient food and water.
In Sierra Leone: Talk Show Host Arrested For Criticizing President?s Response To Ebola
Pulse--David Tam Baryoh, who hosts a programme called "Monologue" on Citizen FM, was taken to Freetown's notorious Pademba Road jail on Tuesday, November 4 after President Ernest Bai Koroma reportedly ordered his arrest.
Sierra Leonean leader appeals for local leadership in Ebola fight
Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma has given local traditional leaders a 21-day ultimatum to ensure progress in the fight against the Ebola disease. At a frank discussion with traditional and religious leaders, elected officials and government ministers in Freetown on Tuesday, the President said this is the second phase of the battle against the [...]The post Sierra Leonean leader appeals for local leadership in Ebola fight appeared first on News - StarAfrica.com.
Large areas of the west African country have been sealed off to check the spread of the deadly virus, with people in some areas being ordered to stay indoors. People in the quarantine areas depend on the government, assisted by the UN's World Food ;...
VIDEO: Inside new Ebola treatment centre
BBC--Clive Myrie looks around a new, British army-built centre for treating people with Ebola in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone Medical Officer Disputes Underreported Ebola Deaths
Sierra Leone?s chief medical officer, Dr. Brima Kargbo, said Ebola deaths in his country are not underreported. Kargbo was reacting to comments reportedly made Friday by Rony Zachariah of the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF). After visiting Sierra Leone, Zachariah said the global total of nearly 5,000 deaths was ?underreported.? Zachariah also reportedly said that Ebola had wiped out ?several villages and communities? in Sierra Leone. But Kargbo said he was not aware of villages being wiped out. He said there is a tendency by some international partners to inflate Ebola figures for Sierra Leone. ?There are probable deaths, suspected deaths, and confirmed deaths, and we only report those deaths that are confirmed as persons infected with Ebola,? he said.
Sierra Leone: In Sierra Leone, vaccinations another casualty of Ebola
These days in Sierra Leone, most people do all they can to stay clear of hospitals and health centres, where those infected with Ebola virus are being sheltered and treated. It may be an understandable response to a deadly epidemic, but the wider health impact of such fears is already being felt, most notably in the steep decline in vaccinations. National immunization rates for the pentavalent vaccine for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, haemophilus influenza and hepatitis B were above the target of 90 per cent until August, when they started dropping significantly.
Sierra Leone: Safe and dignified burials in Sierra Leone
In the world of infectious diseases, a lot of sadness hides behind acronyms. Recently, Concern became involved with one of the very saddest: DBM, or Dead Body Management. Safe burials key to stopping Ebola epidemic In the Western Area of Sierra Leone, which includes the capital city of Freetown, it is estimated that up to 80 percent of Ebola transmissions are the result of contact with dead bodies. That means that the safe disposal of dead bodies is critical to breaking the cycle of transmission. Of course, a lot of sadness hides behind the word, ?disposal,? too. Up until recently, less than a third of burials in Freetown were considered safe. Now, almost 98 percent are safe. This is a huge accomplishment, and a direct result of efforts by Concern?s Freetown team and our partners. More than just safety: dignity But safety is not our only goal.
Sierra Leone: Working Together to Fight Ebola in Sierra Leone
(MSF) runs two Ebola Case Management Centers (CMCs)?one in Bo and another in Kailahun?with over 1,400 staff. The Kailahun Ebola Case Management Center was opened on June 26, 2014. To date, MSF teams have admitted more than 600 patients with confirmed Ebola, of whom 292 have recovered. Here, staff members at the CMCs discuss their experiences. Fatmata Swarray, Mental Health Officer: Listening and Comforting Patients Fatmata Swarray has been working as a mental health officer at the MSF Ebola CMC in Kailahun, Sierra Leone since July 2014. My role as a counselor is to be available for the patients?to comfort them, to talk to them, to listen to their fears and explain what being inside the treatment center will be like. When patients arrive at the center, my colleague and I greet them and tell them that we are here for them.
Sierra Leone: New measures in the fight against ebola
Prime Minister Minister for Health The Commonwealth Government will increase Australia?s $18 million contribution to the response to Ebola in West Africa and strengthen preparations to detect and respond to a possible Ebola case in Australia. A health service provider will be contracted to manage and run a 100-bed Ebola treatment facility in Sierra Leone, as part of the United Kingdom-led international efforts in that country. Discussions are underway with Aspen Medical, an Australian company, in this regard. The Ebola treatment facility will be staffed mainly by local health care workers, supported by a contingent of international staff, including some Australian volunteers. The Government will contribute up to $20 million over the next eight months for this treatment facility.
Sierra Leone: Save the Children Opens Ebola Treatment Center in Sierra Leone
Save the Children is opening its first specialist Ebola Treatment Center (ETC) in Sierra Leone, as part of its wider fight to treat and stop the spread of Ebola. Located in Kerry Town, 40 kilometers outside the capital Freetown, the 80-bed facility provides diagnosis and treatment to infected patients, while ensuring that children receive the care and protection they so desperately need.
VIDEO: Inside UK-funded Ebola centre
BBC--An 80-bed Ebola treatment centre, funded by the UK and built by the British Army, is to open its door near Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital.
Sierra Leone imprisons journalist under emergency Ebola measures
(Reuters) - Police in Sierra Leone have jailed a journalist in the capital Freetown under emergency measures introduced to help the West African country cope with the Ebola epidemic, a senior police source said on Tuesday.
