Sierra Leone Telegraph: 6 May 2016
The Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) related to Ebola in West Africa was lifted on 29 March, 2016.
A total of 28,616 confirmed, probable and suspected cases have been reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with 11,310 deaths.
In the latest cluster, seven confirmed and three probable cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were reported between 17 March and 6 April from the prefectures of N’Zerekore (nine cases) and Macenta (one case) in south-eastern Guinea.
In addition, having travelled to Monrovia, Liberia, the wife and two children of the Macenta case were confirmed as Ebola cases between 1 and 5 April.
The index case of this cluster (a 37-year-old female from Koropara sub-prefecture in N’Zerekore) had symptom onset on or around 15 February and died on 27 February without a confirmed diagnosis.
The source of her infection is likely to have been due to exposure to infected body fluid from an Ebola survivor.
All contacts that were linked to the 13 cases (including nine deaths) in Guinea and Liberia completed the 21-day follow-up period on 27 April.
In Guinea, the last case tested negative for Ebola virus for the second time on 19 April.
In Liberia, the last case tested negative for the second time on 28 April.
The 42-day (two incubation periods) countdown must elapse before the outbreak can be declared over in Guinea and Liberia. In Guinea, this is due to end on 31 May and in Liberia, this is due to end on 9 June.
The response to this outbreak was supported in Guinea by vaccination of contacts and contacts of contacts. This campaign began on 22 March and vaccinated over 1500 people.
Risk assessment:
Active surveillance is ongoing in Guinea and Liberia and will continue 42 days after the last case tested negative for Ebola virus.
The performance indicators suggest that the Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone still have variable capacity to prevent (EVD survivor programme), detect (epidemiological and laboratory surveillance) and respond to new outbreaks.
The risk of additional outbreaks originating from exposure to infected survivor body fluids remains.
Report by WHO
Ebola devastated many communities and these people are still suffering the effects.
Some Ebola survivors were to be given $5000 by government but ending up getting only Le 500,000 = ~ $125.00.
This is disgraceful.
Meanwhile the education of children is being put on hold by the government. The NPSE examination (formerly common entrance exam) has been postponed indefinitely. This exam should propel children from primary to secondary school if they pass the exam.
The exam should have been done at the end of this week but was cancelled indefinitely at the beginning of the week.
Apparently teachers have not been paid for months and people who invigilated in last year’s examination have still not been paid. They have therefore decided to boycott the examinations this year until they are paid.
In spite of government saying that there is no money and that it is strapped for cash, I was shocked to hear the head of the devils parade in Freetown talking on Culture Radio yesterday night.
He said Alpha Khan called him and told him to organise in a wonderful devil parade in Port Loko as the president Bai Koroma wanted to attend for the Independence celebrations.
He continued and said it well attended and that Khan and Bai Koroma were ‘spraying’ money on the devils. Unbelievable. Are these guys on drugs or what?
I say this because in my opinion, if teachers have not been paid, children cannot take exams, water and electricity are in very very short supply, Ebola victims have not been given monies due them, then why spend whatever little money is left on useless frivolities?
This president is not fit to run even a home let alone a country.