EVD COUNTDOWN ZERO + 42 (D DAY 8TH NOVEMBER 2015) 19 days, 7 hours, 53 minutes and 03 seconds left
DISCHARGED CASES
Total Survived and Discharged Cases = 4,051
NEW CASES
New Confirmed cases = 0 as follows:
Kailahun = 0, Kenema = 0, Kono = 0 Bombali = 0, Kambia = 0, Koinadugu = 0, Port Loko =0, Tonkolili = 0 Bo = 0, Bonthe = 0, Moyamba = 0 Pujehun = 0 Western Area Urban = 0, Western Area Rural = 0, Missing = 0
Lisa Schlein
October 20, 2015 10:08 AM
GENEVA— The World Health Organization chief said preparedness, awareness, and transparency are at the heart of the WHO reform process.
World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan said many lessons have been learned from the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and these will be incorporated in the reform process that is underway.
She said being prepared is decisive in fighting any epidemic or pandemic of such magnitude. She told VOA that involves shoring up and strengthening the resilience of fragile health systems in Africa and elsewhere in the world. “In the past, when we talk about a health system, the tendency is to talk about clinical care, curative care. And now we should integrate the public health disease surveillance and laboratory testing as part of the health system capability,” she stated.
As part of the reform program, Dr. Chan said WHO is building a global emergency health work force. She said trained foreign medical teams will be on standby, ready to respond rapidly to a disease outbreak or natural disaster in any country.
She said decisive leadership, awareness of the dangers posed by an epidemic and being transparent about these problems are critical in controlling an outbreak.
One of the big lessons learned from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa she said is the importance of building trust between the communities and health workers. She said community engagement is a big part of the ongoing work, even as the epidemic is winding down.
“As we are speaking, we are still seeing community resistance. They hide cases. They continue to do secret burials and if that is happening, it will undermine the effective public health measures,” said Chan.
She said Liberia has been declared Ebola free. Sierra Leone has not had a case of Ebola in four weeks and is moving closer to the 42 days needed for it too to be declared free of the disease.
But Dr. Chan warns Ebola is not yet finished. She said the World Health Organization is in the process of confirming three new suspected cases of Ebola in Guinea.
To combat the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, UNDP provided hazard payments to Ebola Response Workers (nurses, doctors, contact tracers, ambulance drivers) who were risking their lives to combat the virus. Thousands of citizens, including medical professionals, mobilized to safely track Ebola cases, treat the sick, and bury the dead. By 2015, UNDP had supported governments to pay nearly 20,000 Ebola Response Workers to combat the virus in all three countries.
These are countries "coming out of conflict, with very poor infrastructure, very small, under-resourced and under-trained health workforces, overwhelmed by a crisis which even in Western countries would severely stress the system," said Peter Graaf, the UNMEER Ebola crisis manager for Liberia.
"One of the very challenging and complex areas was the Ebola response workers payments. The government really needed help to make sure they were paid so they could work," said Ghulam Sherani, Head of Payments for UNDP in Sierra Leone.
"Hazard pay had the most impact on getting the people in this country to come in and join the fight, regardless of how many medical doctors we would have had coming in, if the hazard pay wasn't around, (...) it would have been a very difficult situation". Raymond Kabya, District Coordinator for Ebola in Port Loko, Sierra Leone.
Highlights
After two weeks without new cases of Ebola virus disease, three new cases were reported in Guinea in the week ending Sunday 18 October. No new cases were reported in Sierra Leone.
Following the workshop on survivors held in Kindia, Guinea, from 5 to 7 October, the National Coordination Cell is in the process of formulating a national strategy to support the EVD survivors.
The Interagency Collaboration on Ebola held the eighth Coordination Board meeting on 8 October. The Board recognised the importance of preserving strong national and international capacities that have the capacity to respond to flare ups across the region.
The Ministry of Health’s WASH and environmental health package for health facilities in Liberia was validated in a meeting on 8 October with over 60 participants drawn from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Public Works, WHO, CDC and other partners. The package will contribute to improve the quality of health service delivery and infection, prevention and control measures.
WHO held the three-level meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone from 12-14 October. There was consensus that rapid-response team capacity is not strong enough at present. Ebola Crisis Managers (ECMs) and OCHA will work with WHO to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) that recommend minimum standards and guide the contributions of partners in country. Simulations will be planned for December and January to assess capacity.
Working and discussion papersMarc DuBois and Caitlin Wake, with Scarlett Sturridge and Christina Bennett
Though often described as unprecedented, the Ebola response reflects long-standing strengths and weaknesses with how aid works. Aid organisations proved dedicated and resourceful but also ill-prepared and insufficiently engaged with local communities.
Although well-used to danger, aid organisations struggled to overcome their fear of the virus and determine how to protect their staff in such an uncertain environment.
This paper looks at a range of problems encountered in West Africa, from weak health systems to a lack of trust, in order to illustrate broader conclusions about the global humanitarian and outbreak response systems.
Ultimately, to avoid repeating mistakes made during the Ebola response, reforms must be implemented with an understanding of the politics and culture of international aid.
Ce rapport de situation est produit avec la collaboration des organisations impliquées dans la réponse à la maladie à virus Ebola. Il remplace les précédents rapports de situation produits par UNMEER. Il s’agit d’un extrait en français du rapport régional produit par le Bureau régional OCHA pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre et l’OMS. Il couvre la période du 6 au 19 octobre 2015. Le prochain rapport sera publié aux environs du 3 novembre 2015.
Faits saillants
Trois (3) nouveaux cas confirmés ont été notifiés à la semaine 42 (12 et 18 octobre) en Guinée.
Deux cas n’étaient pas connus comme contacts.
Suite à l’atelier sur les Survivants Ebola qui s’est tenu à Kindia du 5 au 7 octobre, une stratégie nationale d’assistance aux survivants de la MVE est en train d’être formulée par la Cellule nationale de coordination.
La réunion des trois (3) Niveaux de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) s’est tenue les 12 et 13 octobre à Freetown en Sierra Léone.
Proclamation des résultats provisoires des élections présidentielles du 11 octobre par la CENI.
By Indrias G Kassaye / 21 October 2015
The September floods in Freetown, Sierra Leone were devastating and the areas worst affected were coastal slums where residents are already extremely poor and vulnerable.
Adama Kamara wasn’t at home when the downpour started, but she knew her baby was. When the water flooded her Freetown home she lost almost everything – but not her child. “I had to break the door to bring him out,” said Adama, who lives close to the waterfront. “Everything got spoilt. We could not take anything out. Everything we are wearing now was given to us.”
“I have never seen this kind of water since I was born,” said Adama. “The water flooded the streets because it does not have passage to go down. The water does not have passage because of the trees that have been cut up the hills. It is affecting everywhere. People are blocking the river-banks and building houses. When the water does not have passage, it goes into the houses to find its way.”
Thousands of displaced people have gathered at Freetown’s Siaka Stevens National Stadium, and also at the smaller Atouga Stadium in Eastern Freetown.
“We came here at night. We heard over radio that the President asked people affected to come to the stadium. We came late so we didn’t have a place to sleep. I had to carry my baby in my arms until this morning. I didn’t feel comfortable sleeping here, the place is cold especially for my baby. He is just two weeks old,” said Adama.
UNICEF and partners are supporting the Government of Sierra Leone to respond to the emergency, and meeting the emergency shelter, food and water needs of mothers and children was a high priority from the start.
Like Adama, Isata Kamara came to the National Stadium with her baby.
“I was living with my aunt and my baby’s father at Kroo Bay and when the rain came, it washed away all of our belongings,” Isata said from the Siaka Stevens Stadium with her ten-month-old son Emmanuel Conteh. “We were told to come to the stadium because the rain affected us, and that’s why I’m here.”
Clinics for children five and under have been set up at the stadiums, and Isata was directed there after registering in the stadium.
“My child wasn’t feeling well and had to be admitted,” said Isata. Emmanuel received medicines and high-energy therapeutic foods which are being distributed free of charge for sick and malnourished children. “They gave me a mattress and the people here take care of us. They give us food, water and other things. I sleep at the section for mothers inside the ‘Child Friendly Space.’”
A ‘Child Friendly Space’ was established for the younger children, 500 of whom have been registered at the National Stadium: Adama and her baby sleep there. Since the emergency began, UNICEF has distributed 940 mattresses and 1,600 pillows, with priority to pregnant and breastfeeding women and families with small children.
UNICEF is trucking in water daily to ensure there is enough to serve all the people sheltering there. Partners like WFP are ensuring that everyone is well fed, supported by contributions from the wider Freetown society.
UNICEF is providing milk and high-energy nutritional biscuits to children five years and under. Toilets, latrines, hand washing stations and showers have been set up and supplied – critical interventions to prevent outbreak of diseases like Cholera and Ebola. Women and children are being cared for in temporary health clinics set up by UNICEF, and UNICEF-supported social mobilizers continue to share safety information about avoiding Ebola.
Several weeks after the floods, the more than 14,000 affected persons registered at the two stadiums are being cared for in a safe and protected environment with their essential needs fulfilled. UNICEF continues to support the emergency response to the floods in partnership with other UN agencies and NGOs.
Fatmata Conteh is staying at Atouga Stadium with her four children. “I sell things to earn my living – biscuits, sweets, and so on,” said Fatmata. “But I lost everything. So today I am not thinking much about tomorrow – now I am thinking about getting food to eat. We don’t know about our future.”
For now, Fatmata’s family is being well cared for, and the work to rehabilitate flood-affected communities awaits.
SUMMARY
Three new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were reported in the week to 18 October, all of which were reported in Guinea. The country had reported zero cases for the previous 2 weeks. Of the 3 new cases, 1 was reported from the capital, Conakry, and 2 were reported from the subprefecture of Kaliah, Forecariah. Of note, 2 cases were not registered contacts, 1 of whom was identified after post-mortem testing of a community death. There are currently 246 contacts under follow-up in Guinea (70 of whom are high risk), and an additional 253 contacts identified during the past 42 days remain untraced. Therefore there remains a nearterm risk of further cases among both registered and untraced contacts. Sierra Leone reported zero cases for a fifth consecutive week.
Case incidence has remained at 5 confirmed cases or fewer per week for 12 consecutive weeks. Over the same period, transmission of the virus has been geographically confined to several small areas in western Guinea and Sierra Leone, marking a transition to a distinct, third phase of the epidemic. The phase-3 response1 coordinated by the Interagency Collaboration on Ebola2 builds on existing measures to drive case incidence to zero, and ensure a sustained end to EVD transmission. Enhanced capacity to rapidly identify a reintroduction (either from an area of active transmission or from an animal reservoir), or re-emergence of virus from a survivor, and capacity for testing and counselling as part of a comprehensive package to safeguard the welfare of survivors are central to the phase-3 response framework.
The case from Conakry, a 21-year-old male, was reported from the Ratoma area of the city. However, he is not a known contact of a previous case, and genomic analyses suggest he was not infected with the strain of Ebola virus responsible for the most recent cases in Conakry and Forecariah. Investigations to identify the origin of infection are ongoing. The first case identified from Forecariah, a 35-year-old woman, was not a registered contact, and was identified after post-mortem testing of a community death. However, genomic analyses suggest she is part of the same chain of transmission—the Ratoma chain—as the 4 cases that were reported from the same subprefecture in Forecariah during the week ending 27 September 2015. The second case identified from Forecariah is her 3-month-old child, and was a registered contact. Of 246 contacts under follow-up in Guinea on 18 October, 43 were located in Conakry with the remainder located in Forecariah.
In Sierra Leone, all contacts linked to the country’s 2 most recently active chains of transmission, Bombali and Kambia, have completed 21-day follow-up. In addition, the last case to receive treatment was confirmed free of EVD after a second consecutive negative test on 25 September. The country will be declared free of EVD transmission on 7 November if no further cases are reported. However, 2 high-risk contacts—one from Bombali and one from Kambia—remain untraced. Efforts to trace these contacts will continue until 42 days have elapsed since the last reported case in each district.
Robust surveillance measures are essential to ensure the rapid detection of any reintroduction or reemergence of EVD in currently unaffected areas. Nine operational laboratories in Guinea tested a total of 654 new and repeat samples in the week to 18 October. In Liberia, 1278 new and repeat samples were tested over the same period in the country’s 4 operational laboratories. 1592 new samples were collected in Sierra Leone and tested by 8 operational laboratories.
By Kemo Cham and Emma Farge
FREETOWN/DAKAR, Oct 21 (Reuters) - A poster in Sierra Leone's crumbling coastal capital Freetown proclaims a message from an Ebola survivor called Sulliaman: "I feel 100 percent healthy!" Another beaming survivor Juliana says: "I am one of the safest people to be around!"
Throughout the two-year Ebola epidemic, thousands of West African survivors have been shunned by their communities, prompting governments to sponsor messages stressing their complete recovery in a bid to counter fear and paranoia.
Reaf full article here
HIGHLGHTS
World cereal supply and demand balance in the 2015/16 marketing season is likely to remain in a generally comfortable situation. While world cereal production is expected to fall below last year’s record, supplies will be almost sufficient to meet the projected demand, requiring only a small reduction in global inventories by the end of the season.
AFRICA: Aggregate 2015 cereal production is forecast to decline mostly on account of poor prospects in East Africa and an expected reduced output in Southern Africa. Average crops are foreseen in West and Central Africa, while a recovery in North Africa’s production averted a sharper regional decline. In East Africa, pockets of starvation have been reported in some conflict-affected areas of South Sudan calling for urgent and concerted efforts to avert a disaster. In addition, food security conditions deteriorated in Southern Africa, while persistent and disruptive conflicts in parts of Central, East and West Africa continue to devastate the agricultural sector and acutely impact on food security conditions.
ASIA: Despite a forecast increase in the 2015 aggregate regional cereal harvest, mainly as result of a record output forecast in China, dry weather diminished production in India and several countries of the Far East subregion. In the Near East, a production recovery is foreseen from last year’s drought-affected output, but conflicts in Iraq, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen continue to aggravate the humanitarian crisis.
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: El Niño-associated dry weather conditions have sharply reduced crop production forecasts in Central America and the Caribbean. On the other hand, record maize harvests are estimated in South America and Mexico, while a bumper wheat output is also forecast in South America.
Strong El Niño predicted to persist into early 2016. El Niño-related dry weather patterns have already adversely impacted on production in parts of Asia and Central America and the Caribbean. The expected prevalence and continuation of El Niño-associated weather patterns into 2016 have raised alarms in many parts of the world where the cropping season has started or is about to start, including parts of Asia and Southern Africa. n FAO estimates that, globally, 35 countries, including 28 in Africa, are in need of external assistance for food.
Nina DeVries
FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE— Sierra Leone may be declared Ebola-free in early November, but caring for the country's 4,051 Ebola survivors remains a big challenge. Many survivors report joint pain and vision problems, and experts also are worried about the risk of relapse.
Typical of the survivors is Fatmata Conteh, who lives in the village of Rokupa, an eastern part of Freetown. Since she survived Ebola, she has been experiencing joint pain that has made it impossible for her to work. As a result, she said, she doesn't have enough money to pay her rent, which has added to her stress.
But there is some help available. Conteh has been getting free medical treatment at a clinic for Ebola survivors, run by Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym, MSF.
The MSF field coordinator for the Ebola survivors program, Patrick Trye, said Ebola survivors' health complications have become a major concern. The country's health system was not strong before Ebola, and he worries about how it will manage now. The system lacks human resources, and specialists in particular, he said.
In all, there are about 17,000 Ebola survivors in West Africa, and concern is rising over how long they can harbor the virus in their systems.
A Scottish nurse, Pauline Cafferty, who contracted the virus in Sierra Leone last year, had an apparent relapse this month. According to a BBC report, the virus was lingering in her brain and caused her to become ill with meningitis.
A recent study found the virus can stay in semen for up to nine months. It also is known to stay in eye fluids after recovery, and that worries Dr. Matthew Vandy, an ophthalmologist.
“The simple fact that the persistence of the Ebola virus is in the eye, it is a big challenge," he said. "Cataracts is major cause of blindness [in Sierra Leone] and the only treatment is surgery, so if somebody has a live [Ebola] virus and you go and operate on that person, there is a danger that you are dealing with the virus, touching the virus.”
Vandy is pushing for a study to be done in Sierra Leone on how long the virus can stay in a survivor’s eye.
Conteh has concerns, too. She said she was worried because not enough is known about the disease and there's still much to study.
For now, she is just hoping her treatments will help her health complications improve.
EVD COUNTDOWN ZERO + 42 (D DAY 8TH NOVEMBER 2015) 17 days, 7 hours, 1 minutes and 42 seconds left
EBOLA OUTBREAK UPDATES October 21, 2015.
NEW CASES
DISCHARGED CASES = 4,051
CUMULATIVE CASES = 8,704
CUMULATIVE DEATHS =3,589
Ebola Virus Disease Situation Report
PROVIDED BY:
The Ministry of Health and Sanitation
For more information, please contact:
District level: District Health Management Team
National level: Directorate of Disease Prevention and Control, E.mail: dpcsurveillance@gmail.com Website: www.nerc.sl or www.health.gov.sl Mobile: 117 (Toll free)
This October 15th, hundreds of millions of people around the world (including Sierra Leone) celebrated the Global Handwashing day, with the theme; “Raise a hand for hygiene” Celebrated annually, this Global Handwashing Day was especially important given the current context of Sierra Leone, affected since May 2014 by the worst Ebola outbreak in the history of the virus.
With the outbreak of Ebola in the country, hand washing practice has been one of the main line of defence against the spread of the infection and as a result this practice has significantly improved in the country.
Despite the massive sensitizations, trainings and promotions going on in the country on hand washing, proper handwashing with soap is not yet widely practiced and as a result, diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infectionsontribute to 13% and 17% of under-five deaths annually; and the country remains among the highest for under-five mortality.
Handwashing with soap is not only affordable and simple, but it is also very effective at reducing the risk of illness and death from these diseases. In fact, simple handwashing with soap at critical times—such as after using the toilet or before eating—can reduce the incidences of diarrhoeal diseases among children under five by 47% and respiratory infections by approximately 25% .
Global Hand Washing Day in Sierra Leone this year was designed to focus on celebrating the results achieved so far, and also reinforcing the culture of hand washing with soap at critical times.
ACF in Sierra Leone works to improve access to clean water, sanitation and promote hygiene in vulnerable communities, schools and health facilities in Western Area, Moyamba and Kambia districts. Over the year, ACF has been working with a number of schools in its operational areas to improve good hygiene practices among other programme interventions.
To celebrate Global Handwashing Day 2015, students from over 30 of such schools, in Freetown and Kambia have been involved in poem competitions, quizes, role plays, dramas, art contests, debates; and demonstration of hand washing techniques around the theme of the celebration, “raise a hand for hygiene”. Children have been the main targets of this year’s global handwashing campaign aiming at promoting their role as agents of change with their fellows, at household and community levels.
As the country moves towards being Ebola free, Sasha Ekanayake, Country Director for ACF Sierra Leone, underscores that “the events of this year’s celebration are indeed timely as this is a period in which all are expected to not be complacent and be on track with hygiene practices to defeat Ebola, whilst building a solid foundation for a healthier nation.
Even though the reduction of infant and child deaths received incredible support by the international community through its inclusion as one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Sierra Leone, in 2013 ranked highest for under-five mortality of 182/1000 per live births.
In Sierra Leone, 12.9% of children are underweight, 28.8% stunted and 4.7% are wasted. Under nutrition results from a combination of immediate causes of poor health and nutrition, such as the lack of available nutritious food or the presence of illness/disease, and underlying factors that influence those immediate causes. Such underlying factors can include; family income, parental educational status and cultural factors that might impact on resource distribution within the household.
Care practices also play a key role in determining a child’s nutritional status and evidence suggests that teenage mothers are most likely to have poor care practices, particularly with regards to feeding practices.
Against this backdrop, ACF Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS), Concern Worldwide and Save the Children, on Wednesday 21st October 2015, launched the “Teenage Mothers Care Practices”. It is a case study of Western Area, Koinadugu and Pujehun Districts of Sierra Leone, conducted by Krystle Lai and Catriona Towriss in 2014. The document aims at providing information on the negative effects of child care practices of teenage mothers on the nutrition, growth and development of children and also providing recommendations on how to tackle these issues in the best interest of Mother and child.
In the meeting, key stakeholders in Sierra Leone (including donors, line ministries and CSOs) held a broader discussion on results of the findings and recommendations from the study to proffer the type of support teenage mothers need to avoid lasting impacts on the mother and child.
EVD COUNTDOWN ZERO + 42 (D DAY 8TH NOVEMBER 2015) 16 days, 7 hours, 3 minutes and 42 seconds left
NEW CASES
Kailahun = 0, Kenema = 0, Kono = 0 Bombali = 0, Kambia = 0, Koinadugu = 0, Port Loko =0, Tonkolili = 0 Bo = 0, Bonthe = 0, Moyamba = 0 Pujehun = 0 Western Area Urban = 0, Western Area Rural = 0, Missing = 0
DISCHARGED CASES = 4,051
CUMULATIVE CASES = 8,704
CUMULATIVE DEATHS =3,589
Suspected cases = 5,047
Ebola Virus Disease Situation Report
PROVIDED BY:
The Ministry of Health and Sanitation
For more information, please contact: District level: District Health Management Team
National level: Directorate of Disease Prevention and Control,
E.mail: dpcsurveillance@gmail.com
Website: www.nerc.sl or www.health.gov.sl
Mobile: 117 (Toll free)
On October 21, 2015, the Rural Water and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) Trust Fund of the African Development Bank (AfDB) announced a EUR 3-million grant to support the implementation of the National Post Ebola Recovery Strategies of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The RWSSI Trust Fund donation responds to the need to build resilience to Ebola in the countries affected by the epidemic through sustainable improvement of water and sanitation for the most vulnerable segments of population. It is expected to play a catalytic role in improving community response to outbreaks.
The unprecedented spread of Ebola in 2014 has been closely associated with the lack of capacity and resources to respond promptly and effectively to the epidemic. The original epicenters of the outbreak in the three countries are situated in remote rural border areas, where the coverage figures for safe water and improved sanitation are very poor. In Liberia for example, over 50% of the 656 health facilities have no on-site water and sanitation. In Sierra Leone, 3 000 schools are without water and sanitation. In Guinea, 29% of rural households do not have access to any kind of toilet facility. Through its support for post-Ebola reconstruction, the RWSSI Trust Fund has yet again shown its commitment to achieving sustainable development by putting the furthest behind first.
Capacity-building and awareness of the role of water and sanitation in preventing the spread of disease are key to the RWSSI post-Ebola program. The objective is to ensure that rural communities are trained to manage and maintain water and sanitation facilities themselves, backed with training on the health and economic benefits, namely a reduction in water-borne diseases, less time spent fetching water, and less money spent on health care. Women and children are expected to gain the most from improved water and sanitation.
Experience suggests that even though the Ebola epidemic has now been contained, the virus may remain latent in the region. “The fight should not lose momentum and our donation should address the most immediate needs of the communities most at risk. We will start now to build the capacity to prevent and respond to another potential crisis,” said Mohamed El Azizi, Director of the AfDB Water and Sanitation Department.
The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative Trust Fund grant will build on the AfDB’s previous emergency support programs for Ebola and is integrated into a health-sector loan to Sierra Leone and Guinea, the Post Ebola Recovery Social Investment Fund, with a total volume of EUR 30 million. Funds will be hosted at the Mano River Union Secretariat and disbursed in accordance with the National Post-Ebola Recovery Plans of the target countries, complementing and coordinating work with other partners.
On October 21, 2015, the African Development Bank Group’s (AfDB) Board of Executive Directors approved a US $33.3-million grant to set up a Post Ebola Recovery Social Investment Fund (PERSIF) intended to support the implementation of the National Post Ebola Recovery strategies of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Whilst the Governments of the three countries have been able to contain the outbreak, Ebola still remains a serious risk for the region. Three new confirmed cases of Ebola were reported last week in Guinea, according to the latest situation report from the World Health Organization. The size of the epidemic has affected the concerned countries’ economies, nationally, regionally and beyond, and early recovery activities need to proceed immediately.
“Building on lessons learned from the response, recovery efforts should ensure that people and their communities are at the centre of the recovery process. The regional nature of this epidemic calls for regional solutions to leverage economies of scale, systems strengthening, improved governance, communication, coordination and community involvement,” said Sunita Pitamber, AfDB’s Director for Human Development.
The fund combines contributions from the African Development Fund – the AfDB’s fund for emerging markets as well as countries in transition (USD 25 million grant); the US State Department (USD 5 million grant); and AfDB’s Rural Water and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) Trust Fund (USD 3.4 million).
Funding from the US State Department will support economic and livelihood development for women, girls, and orphans and vulnerable children from Ebola communities in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The original epicenters of the outbreak in the three countries are situated in remote border areas, where safe water and sanitation are very poor. In Liberia for example, over 50% of the 656 health facilities have no on-site water and sanitation. In Sierra Leone, 3,000 schools are without water and sanitation. In Guinea, 29% of rural households do not have access to any kind of toilet facility.
“The RWSSI Trust Fund responds to the need to build resilience in the affected-countries through sustainable improvement of water and sanitation for the most vulnerable segments of population,” said Mohamed El Azizi, Director of the AfDB Water and Sanitation Department.
PERSIF will be hosted by the Mano River Union Secretariat and will finance demand-driven, small-scale activities to contribute to the restoration of livelihoods and building the productive capacity of the poor especially women. It is expected to benefit 5,000 Ebola survivors and 2,000 orphans and vulnerable children.
The Bank’s ongoing projects will continue to focus on strengthening public health systems which include building human resource capacity; epidemic preparedness and response; m-health and strengthening governance and regional institutions.
The fund is a welcome addition to the Bank’s ongoing efforts to fight Ebola. It is expected to play a catalytic role in improving community response to outbreaks, and contribute to inclusive growth, gender equality and poverty reduction in the three affected countries.
Since March 2014, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and development partners have accompanied the three affected countries in the relentless fight against Ebola – which cost the lives of 11,298 West Africans. AfDB mobilized US $523 million for 12 operations in the West Africa region, and launched an Ebola Response Fund alongside development partners and representatives from the private sector. This includes US $223 million from the African Development Fund (ADF), Transitional Support Fund (TSF), and the Special Relief Fund (SRF) aimed at strengthening health systems, training health workers, and providing equipment and other emergency support to Ebola-affected countries, and $300 million for a road transport project for the Mano River countries aimed at strengthening infrastructure and the economy in the region.
HIGHLIGHTS
GoG confirms three new cases for week of October 12
GoG plans to bolster EVD surveillance and case management in Forécariah following recent cases
Liberia transitions to expanded oral swabbing and approves RDTs
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
From October 12–18, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported three new EVD cases—all in Guinea. One case occurred in Conakry’s Ratoma sub-prefecture and two cases were recorded in Forécariah Prefecture. The Government of Guinea (GoG) plans to extend the ongoing micro-cerclages, or de-facto quarantines, and EVD vaccination campaign to additional villages in Forécariah.
The Government of Liberia (GoL) and response organizations are transitioning from a policy of universal safe and dignified burials (SDBs) to expanded post-mortem oral swabbing. USAID/OFDA partner Global Communities (GC) is supporting the transition by training health care workers in swab collection and testing techniques.
Sierra Leone reported no new cases for a third consecutive week. Provided no additional cases occur, WHO will declare the country EVD-free on November 8.
