Nationwide celebrations as country declared Ebola-free

Saturday, 7 November 2015 - 11:56am

Today, Saturday 7th November, Sierra Leone is officially declared Ebola-free having gone 42 days without a new case – the criteria set by the World Health Organisation for declaring the outbreak ended[1]. To celebrate the milestone, impromptu parties are expected at churches and mosques, in the streets and on the beaches, and President Koroma is addressing the nation from the capital, Freetown. In the worst affected country, there were 14,000 cases* with nearly one in three losing their lives.[2]

“Day-Zero” marks a huge achievement and turning point in the 18-month battle to stamp out Ebola, but the road to recovery is a long one. The estimated GDP loss for Sierra Leone is $1.4billion and the country is suffering a severe recession[3]. Save the Children is helping to rehabilitate communities and the health and education systems, and is supporting the Government of Sierra Leone to ensure that measures for infection prevention and control remain in place throughout their imposed 90 days of vigilance to ensure the country is completely free from new outbreaks.

Sierra Leone’s economy and development have been left badly damaged in the wake of Ebola – causing further detriment to a country that was still reeling from 11 years of brutal civil war. Ebola has claimed the lives of 221 trained healthcare workers[4]. This 5% loss of doctors and 7% loss of nurses and midwives [5] to the medical workforce hits hard in a country that had an already fragile and understaffed health system before the epidemic, with only one physician for every 50,000 people[6]

Closing all schools for nine months to prevent active transmission has left a black hole in the education of an entire generation. In a country where nearly half of the population is under 18 years[7], Ebola has deprived 1.8million children of an opportunity to learn[8]. To make-up for this lost time, Save the Children is supporting the roll-out of a catch up curriculum in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. The charity has also built libraries in deprived communities and supplied books, schoolbags and pens to children, as well as trained teachers to identify signs of trauma in their students.

Controlling the deadly Ebola virus disease outbreak has been a global effort – in which the UK played a vital role. More than one thousand NHS workers volunteered for deployment to West Africa, risking their lives to care for those that fell victim to the virus. Save the Children worked with the UK’s Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence to build and manage the Kerry Town Ebola Treatment Centre.

Fourteen-year-old Ebola survivor Joshua*, was treated at the Kerry Town Ebola Treatment Centre. He sadly lost 13 members of his family to the disease, including his father, younger brother and grandmother. He said:

“I can’t remember anything after hearing my brother had passed away. I was partially blind and unable to see what it was like and what happened to me. Even when I started regaining my life, they had to feed me and had to take care of me. I couldn’t do anything for myself. When I got home, everybody from the treatment centre gave me support. They gave me soap, food, oil and money to go to the hospital”

Mother of two, Aminata* survived the disease – as did her daughter Fatmata*, who at 9-months old was the youngest survivor at the Kerry Town Ebola Treatment Centre when they were discharged in December. She said:

“Even now, I have joint pains in my knee and problems with my eyes. I am in great pain. When I found out that we had Ebola, I thought all was lost. We were taken to the centre. I will always remember the people there. We were cared for well, and were given medicines and good food. My husband was so happy on the day we came home.”

The Ebola response programme run by Save the Children also included the training of nearly two thousand community healthcare workers to raise awareness of the symptoms of the disease and how to prevent its transmission. The aid agency supplied hand-washing facilities, thermometers and protective clothing to local health centres. By working in coalition with other NGOs, it was ensured that every health centre in the country was reached. Since the programme was up and running, there were no further cases of Ebola amongst healthcare workers.

Isaac Ooko, Country Director for Save the Children in Sierra Leone said:

“This remarkable achievement is thanks to the strength and efforts of the entire nation. Together with support from countries including the UK, we have overcome the horrors of this brutal killer disease. By working with a nationwide network of community heroes, Save the Children was able to help even the smallest and most rural villages to tackle the virus. The country is grieving its huge loss, but we will grow back stronger. Today we will celebrate, but tomorrow we must remain focused, as the risk of a new outbreak still remains.”

ENDS

*Cases includes 5,087 suspected cases, 287 probable cases and 8,704 confirmed by laboratory tests.

For more information, images or interviews, please contact Kathleen Prior in Freetown, Sierra Leone on k.prior@savethechildren.org.uk or call +232 797 67580 (Sierra Leone) or +44 7788 304 565 (UK) or Skype kpriorsaveuk

Alternatively, contact Steph Aldrich in London, UK on s.aldrich@savethechildren.org.uk or +44 207 012 6841 or +44 7831 650 409

Save the Children has been working in West Africa for nearly 30 years and has extensive experience in humanitarian response to the region’s frequent disasters and emergencies. In 2012, it mounted large-scale emergency response and helped control the cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone – the worst outbreak in the last 15 years.

As part of its Ebola response plan in Sierra Leone, Save the Children:

· Mobilised and trained nearly 2000 community healthworkers to raise awareness of the disease and ways to prevent its transmission, and to identify and refer the early warning signs.

· Provided essential items to healthcare centres, including handwashing facilities, chlorine, protective clothing and thermometers.

· Distributed books, pens and bags to 26,000 children nationwide and distributed 1,190 radios to households in Freetown and those in quarantine to enable home-based learning.

· Coordinated teacher home visits for children while schools were closed to ensure their progression with learning, providing support, training and incentives.

· Trained 830 teachers nationwide to identify and refer signs of trauma.

[1] World Health Organisation, Criteria for declaring the end of the Ebola outbreak, May 2015. http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/declaration-ebola-end/en/

[2] World Health Organisation, Ebola Situation Report, 4 Nov 2014. http://apps.who.int/ebola/ebola-situation-reports

[3] World Bank, Update on the economic impact of the 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic on Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, April 2015. http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/958040WP0OUO900e0April150Box385458B.pdf

[4] World Health Organisation, Ebola Situation Report, 25 March 2015. http://apps.who.int/ebola/current-situation/ebola-situation-report-25-march-2015

[5] World Bank, Healthcare Worker Mortality and the legacy of the Ebola outbreak, May 2015. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2015/07/08/disproportionate-deaths-among-health-care-workers-from-ebola-could-lead-to-sharp-rise-in-maternal-mortality-last-seen-20-years-ago---world-bank-report

[6] CIA, World Factbook, 2010. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2226.html

[7] UN data, 2014. http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=sierra%20leone

[8] Reuters, Sierra Leonean schools reopen after long closure due to Ebola, 14 April 2015. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/14/us-health-ebola-leone-education-idUSKBN0N51JY20150414

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

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 7 November 2015 – The WHO declaration marking the end of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone today is welcomed by UNICEF as a major victory for the large-scale and coordinated 18-month response. But enhanced surveillance must continue so that the country is ready for any possible future outbreaks, and work must also intensify to support those affected by the outbreak and to build a resilient recovery.

“This unprecedented health crisis has had a deep and tragic impact on children, whether through direct infection and death, or the impact of quarantine measures, school closures and the economic downturn,” said the UNICEF Representative in Sierra Leone, Geoff Wiffin.

“We can’t afford to scale back our efforts because investments over the next few months will help reduce the long-term impact of the outbreak on future generations. We need to engage with communities, strengthen the health system and other basic services, and make sure affected families – including survivors and orphans – are not forgotten.”

During the outbreak, UNICEF played a key role in supplying medical equipment, shipping more than half a million protective suits for health workers. UNICEF set up Ebola community care centres to rapidly scale up the number of Ebola beds in 2014, established care centres for affected children, and engaged communities with Ebola safety messages through radio, text messages, posters and door-to-door visits.

In support of the Government, UNICEF also played a critical role in the reopening of schools, the restarting of mass vaccination campaigns, and in launching projects for vulnerable groups such as Ebola-affected children, those out of school, and girls who became pregnant during the outbreak.

This month, UNICEF with support from the European Union, will launch 16 construction projects to strengthen health facilities across the country. Separately, work will also start this month to build two training schools for Maternal and Child Health Aides.

More than 11,500 children in Sierra Leone were impacted through either Ebola infection, losing parents to the disease, or being in quarantine. At least 1.8 million school children had to wait eight months for classrooms to be reopened.

“There is huge relief at reaching the end of the outbreak”, said Mr Wiffin, “but the outbreak continues next-door in Guinea and until they get to zero, we are staying on high-alert particularly in border districts like Kambia. Neighbouring Liberia also had cases after their outbreak was declared over so we must be extremely vigilant.”

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For more information, please contact: John James, UNICEF Sierra Leone, jjames@unicef.org, tel + (232) 76 102 401

 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

 DISCHARGED CASES = 4,051

 CUMULATIVE CASES = 8,704

 CUMULATIVE DEATHS =3,589

• Suspected cases = 5,131

• UNHRD continues to dispatch operational equipment for its Partners, most recently supporting WHO and WFP by sending plastic pallets and vehicles to Guinea and Liberia.

• UNHRD facilities in Accra and Las Palmas have served as regional staging areas and the Accra depot hosted UNMEER headquar-ters.

• On behalf of WFP, UNHRD procured and dispatched construction material and equipment for remote logistics hubs, Ebola Treatment Units and Community Care Centres. Most recently, in collaboration with WHO, UNHRD began procuring and dispatching equipment to establish camps for teams tracing EVD. Members of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) are building the camps.

(New York, 7 November 2015) - Action Against Hunger joins the government of Sierra Leone and the international community in celebrating the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration that Sierra Leone is Ebola free. As of November 7, 2015, WHO Representative Dr. Anders Nordström confirmed that the country has reached the milestone of 42 days with no recorded cases: “The world had never faced an Ebola outbreak of this scale and magnitude, and the world has neither seen a nation mobilizing its people and resources as Sierra Leone did. The power of the people of Sierra Leone is the reason why we could put an end to this outbreak today.”

Sierra Leone documented its first Ebola virus disease case in May 2014, and since then, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation recorded a total of 8,704 people infected, 3,589 deaths (including 221 healthcare workers), and 4,051 survivors. The country will now transition to a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to prevent recurrence of the disease.

In total, across the region of West Africa, the outbreak has resulted in the deaths of 11,000 people, with Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone most severely affected. Liberia was declared Ebola free on September 3, 2015, but Guinea is still working to reach zero cases.

We have been operating in Sierra Leone since 1991 to reduce hunger and prevent and treat both acute and chronic undernutrition. Our longstanding local relationships and our presence on the ground allowed us to launch an immediate response to the Ebola outbreak in partnership with District Health Management teams and the Ministry of Health.

Our Ebola response efforts in Sierra Leone included public awareness campaigns to reduce the transmission and spread of the disease; water, sanitation and hygiene interventions to support quarantined homes, communities, and health facilities; training for healthcare workers on preventing and controlling infections; training and supporting case investigators and contact tracers; and interventions to support survivors with nutrition, psychosocial and livelihood support. We also responded to the Ebola crisis in Liberia. Our efforts continue in both Sierra Leone and Liberia to help communities achieve self-sufficiency by strengthening health systems, ensuring access to clean water and sanitation, and improving food security and nutrition.

On this historic day, we salute the heroism of the people and government of Sierra Leone. We also urge our national and international partners to resist complacency and remain vigilant over the next 90 days of heightened surveillance until we truly reach and stay a resilient zero.

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 20 octobre au 2 novembre 2015. Le prochain rapport sera publié aux environs du 17 novembre 2015.

Faits saillants

• Quatre (4) nouveaux cas confirmés ont été notifiés aux semaines 43 et 44 (19-25 octobre et 26 octobre au 1er novembre) en Guinée.

• La campagne de 21 jours de micro-cerclage dans le nouveau foyer actif à Tana marché et dans la sous-préfecture de Kaliah, préfecture de Forécariah, a commencé depuis le 22 octobre.

• La Cour Constitutionnelle a proclamé, le 31 octobre, les résultats définitifs de l’élection présidentielle du 11 octobre dernier.

Situation Épidémiologique

 Cela fait deux semaines consécutives que de nouveaux cas confirmés à la MVE sont notifiés. Quatre (4) nouveaux cas confirmés ont été notifiés aux semaines 43 et 44 (19 au 25 octobre, puis 26 octobre au 1er novembre) en Guinée. Les trois premiers cas confirmés étaient des contacts à haut risque et faisaient l’objet d’un suivi dans une même famille dans le village Kindoyah, sous-préfecture de Kaliah, préfecture de Forécariah. Un (1) seul des trois (3) cas confirmés était éligible pour la vaccination. Il a été vacciné le 16 octobre. Le quatrième cas, un nouveau-né de 3 jours d’une mère confirmée à la MVE le 24 octobre, décédée le 27 octobre après l’accouchement au CTE de Nongo, commune de Ratoma à Conakry et qui vivait à Forécariah.

• Le nombre de cas cumulés en Guinée au 2 novembre est de 3.806 dont 2.536 décès (taux de mortalité à 62%).

• A la date du 2 novembre, six (6) patients, dont quatre (4) cas confirmés et deux (2) cas suspects se trouvaient dans les Centres de traitement Ebola (CTE) de Nongo à Conakry et de Forécariah.

• A Forécariah, les activités de micro-cerclage ont commencé depuis le 22 octobre à Tana marché et dans la sous-préfecture de Kaliah. Toutes les composantes du micro-cerclage sont mises en œuvre (suivi des contacts, mobilisation communautaire, triage, pratique de l’hygiène, campagne d’information par la radio). Cette activité s’accompagne d’une stratégie de recherche active des cas de MVE dans les villages environnants de Kaliah avec la méthode porte à porte.

0. MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP

Fourth modification as of 16/10/2015

1) By 30 September 2015, the Ebola epidemic had infected a total of 28 424 people out of which 11 311 have died. The uneven success of Ebola Virus infection control measures to date, in the face of shifting geographic patterns of transmission, illustrates the continuing threat posed by the Ebola virus a year after the start of the epidemic. Even if the worst fears were not realized, Ebola still presents a major challenge at the end of the second year of the epidemic in West Africa, with new confirmed cases in Guinea and in Sierra Leone.

On 15 September 2014, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Ebola, creating an emergency UN Mission for the Ebola Emergence Response (UNMEER) to respond urgently to the emergency.

Until 31 July 2015, UNMEER provided strategic leadership and policy direction of the international Ebola response effort and harnessed the capabilities and competencies of all United Nations agencies leading different clusters. Nonetheless, UNMEER was set up as a temporary measure and from 1 August WHO has taken over the role of strategic manager and coordinator of the Ebola response in the three countries. An additional amount of EUR 500 000 needs to be allocated to ensure the transfer to WHO of the former UNMEER Ebola Crisis Managers in the countries and thus to help maintain the effective management and coordination of the Ebola response.

2) In the framework of the ECHO4-DFID partnership PHASE - Providing Humanitarian Aid for Sahel Emergencies, an increase of EUR 2 046 180 from DFID will be added to this HIP². This additional funding is to reinforce ECHO interventions in response to the consequences of Boko Haram crisis and to deterioration of the nutritional status of under five year old children in the Sahel.

In the last two months, the conflict between national armed forces and Boko Haram has intensified in North-East Nigeria and its neighbouring countries around Lake Chad: Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Entire villages have been burnt and their livelihoods have been destroyed, thousands of civilians have been killed. Continuous attacks of suspected Boko Haram members have also resulted in large displacements of population, causing influxes of both Nigerian refugees in neighbouring countries and of internally displaced people in each of the affected countries. Currently, an estimated 1 750 000 persons in the Lake Chad area have been forced to flee their villages and are now displaced either in Nigeria (1 600 000 IDPs estimated in North East Nigeria) or in neighbouring countries (150 000 Nigerian refugees in Niger and 50 000 in Cameroon, but also 80 000 IDPs forced to displacement in Northern Cameroon).

The continuation of the armed conflict and the volatility of the security situation make that the delivery of humanitarian assistance is facing severe constraints and difficulties in the areas affected by the conflict. This is leaving critical gaps still to be addressed and in particular in WASH and Shelter, in food assistance, in protection. Logistic support is also required.

The deterioration of the nutritional status of under five-year-old children is acute in the Sahel region with already more than 630 000 children admitted and treated for severe acute malnutrition. The estimated caseload is likely to reach 1.2 million under fiveyears-old children for 2015, stretching response capacity of key partners such as UNICEF also to its limits in terms of RUTF pipeline. Critical gaps have been identified by this partner until end of the year, in particular in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania. These countries alone foresee a caseload corresponding to 43% of the total caseload of severe acute malnutrition in Sahel for 2015.

Summary of WFP assistance

WFP’s Emergency Operation (EMOP) is focused on supporting the medical response to stop the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) by meeting the basic food and nutrition needs of affected families and communities in Sierra Leone. WFP provides food assistance to care for patients and their caretakers in treatment centres and to survivors upon discharge, to contain the spread of the virus in hotspot communities and quarantined households and to protect households in areas most affected by the virus as well as EVD driven vulnerable groups.

Alongside the EMOP, WFP manages the regional Special Operation (SO), enabling the global response of the humanitarian community by providing logistics support, supply chain, infrastructure development, emergency telecommunications, and humanitarian air services across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
WFP is preparing to resume its Country Programme (CP) to provide treatment for moderate acute malnutrition in children aged 6-59 months and pregnant and nursing women. Livelihood development activities including tree planting, fish farming, and swamp rehabilitation are also expected to resume which will help support Ebola recovery priorities. While the programme has been on hold due to the Ebola outbreak and subsequent risks of EVD transmission in group settings, WFP has continued to provide food assistance to patients living with HIV.

CAMEROUN
TROIS MORTS DANS UN ATTENTAT SUICIDE Au moins trois personnes ont été tuées et 19 autres blessées dans un attentatsuicide, le 9 novembre, sur un marché de Fotokol, localité de la région de l'Extrême Nord. Un deuxième agresseur a été tué par les forces de sécurité avant d'exploser son engin explosif. Les militants de Boko Haram sont soupçonnés d'être derrière la série d'attentat-suicides qui secoue la région de l'Extrême-Nord depuis juin.

RÉPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE (RCA)
LES RÉFUGIÉS PARTICIPERONT AUX ÉLECTIONS
La République centrafricaine (RCA), le Cameroun et le HCR ont signé le 2 novembre un accord tripartite qui permettra à plus de 109 000 réfugiés centrafricains au Cameroun, admissibles à voter, à prendre part aux élections générales du 27 décembre visant à mettre fin au gouvernement de transition actuel. Le Cameroun accueille environ 250 000 réfugiés centrafricains dans sa région de l'Est, voisine à la RCA.

TCHAD
CINQ TUÉS DANS UNE ATTAQUE SUICIDE
Le 8 novembre, deux kamikazes ont frappé le village de Ngouboua, sur les rives du lac Tchad, tuant cinq personnes. Boko Haram est soupçonné d'être derrière l'attentat perpétré par deux jeunes filles qui ont fait exploser leurs charges dans une zone peuplée. Jusqu'ici, aucun mouvement de population ou besoins humanitaires liés à l'attaque n’ont été rapportés. En février, Ngouboua est devenu le premier village tchadien à être attaqué par des membres présumés de Boko Haram.

NIGER
PLUS DE 12 000 ENFANTS NON SCOLARISÉS À DIFFA
Un total de 151 écoles a été fermé dans la région sud-est de Diffa, au Niger, en raison de l'insécurité et de la violence liées à Boko Haram. De fait, 12 631 enfants se sont retrouvés dans l’incapacité d’aller à l’école lorsque la nouvelle année scolaire a débuté en octobre. Le gouvernement et les organisations humanitaires travaillent sur les moyens d'aider les enfants à retourner à l'école avant la fin novembre.

NIGERIA
SEPT TUÉS A TARABA
Des violences ont éclaté dans la ville de Wukari dans l'État de Taraba, le 8 novembre, après l'annulation de l'élection du gouverneur sortant. L'autorité de l'État pour la gestion des urgences et la Croix-Rouge ont signalé une violence généralisée et une destruction de biens au cours des heurts qui ont coûté la vie à sept personnes et en a blessé 16 autres.

MALADIE A VIRUS EBOLA/ REGIONAL
LA SIERRA LEONE DÉCLARÉE EXEMPTE DU VIRUS
La Sierra Leone a été déclarée exempte du virus Ebola, le 7 novembre, 42 jours après le dernier cas confirmé. Le pays a enregistré son premier cas d'Ebola en mai 2014. Depuis lors, le virus a infecté 8 704 personnes et tué 3 589 autres. Le pays a commencé une «période de surveillance renforcée" de 90 jours pour assurer la détection précoce de nouveaux cas possibles. La Guinée n'a signalé aucun cas dans la semaine se terminant le 8 novembre. Quatre patients Ebola sont actuellement en cours de traitement et 71 contacts sont surveillés.

CAMEROON
THREE KILLED IN SUICIDE BLAST
At least three people were killed and 19 others injured in a suicide attack on 9 November at a market in Fotokol locality in the Far North region. A second attacker was killed by security forces before detonating her explosive device. Boko Haram elements are suspected to be behind a series of suicide attacks that have rocked the Far North region since June.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR)
REFUGEES TO VOTE IN GENERAL ELECTIONS
The Central African Republic (CAR), Cameroon and UNHCR on 2 November signed a tripartite agreement that will allow more than 109,000 eligible CAR refugees in Cameroon to vote in the 27 December general elections aimed at ending the current transition government. Cameroon hosts around 250,000 CAR refugees in its East region neighbouring CAR.

CHAD
FIVE KILLED IN SUICIDE BOMBING
On 8 November, two suicide attackers struck Ngouboua village on the shores of Lake Chad, killing five people. Boko Haram is suspected to be behind the bombing by two young girls who detonated their explosives in a populated area. So far no population movements or humanitarian needs linked to the attack have been reported. In February, Ngouboua became the first Chadian village to be attacked by suspected Boko Haram gunmen.

NIGER
OVER 12,000 CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOL IN DIFFA
A total of 151 schools have been closed in Niger’s south-eastern Diffa region due to insecurity and violence linked to Boko Haram. As a result, 12,631 children have been left without education as the new school year began in October. The Government and humanitarian organizations are working on ways to help the children return to school before the end of November.

NIGERIA
SEVEN KILLED IN TARABA
Violence erupted in Wukari town in Taraba State on 8 November following the annulment of the election of the incumbent governor. The State Emergency Management Authority and the Red Cross reported widespread violence and destruction of property during the violence that claimed seven lived and injured 16 others.

EVD REGIONAL
SIERRA LEONE DECLARED EBOLA-FREE
Sierra Leone was declared free of Ebola on 7 November, 42 days after the last confirmed case. The country recorded its first Ebola case in May 2014. Since then the virus has infected 8,704 people and killed 3,589. Sierra Leone has now begun a 90-day “enhanced surveillance period” to ensure early detection of any possible new cases. Guinea reported no cases in the week ending 8 November. Four Ebola patients are currently under treatment and 71 contacts are being monitored.

Freetown, Nov. 9, 2015 (MOHS) – President Koroma has re-echoed the end of the Ebola outbreak with the leadership of the Sierra Leone Parliament to facilitate the pronouncement of the end of the State of Emergency in the country, and calls for sustainable zero.

He made this statement on Saturday November 7, 2015 at the Bintumani Hotel Conference Hall after the declaration of the end of the Ebola outbreak by the WHO Country Representative, Dr. Anders Nordstrom.

President Koroma also requested the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to free defaulters of the public health emergency from the Correctional Centre, and declare November 21, 2015 as National Thanksgiving Day and December 18, 2015 a day for the Response Workers.

He paid special tribute to health workers and other Response workers, and salutes volunteers who served in various capacities to help achieve the end of the epidemic. The outbreak he noted started in Kailahun and ends in Bombali district, adding that considerable efforts and progress were made in handling the disease.

He observed the bitterness in the change of our culture and traditional practices, the restricted movement, and the loss of too many lives as a result of the outbreak, as well as the catastrophe that halted the strides in our economic development, and appealed for a culture of maintaining sustainable zero infection across the country.

The President acknowledged the role played by Sierra Leoneans and institutions in diverse ways in the fight against the Ebola, and appealed to the media to assist in putting the country back on the road for national development. Dilating on the new beginning, President Koroma urges all to put behind the bad practices and forge ahead with the country’s recovery resilient strategy.

He described survivors as our great heroes and heroines, and calls for psycho-social support and counseling devoid of stigmatization.

In declaring the end of the outbreak, the WHO Country Representative, Dr. Anders Nordstrom commended Sierra Leone for stopping the Ebola virus transmission and encouraged Sierra Leoneans to sustain the zero achievement.

Sierra Leone, Dr. Nordstrom said recorded its first Ebola case in May 2014, adding that a total number of 8,204 people were infected and 3,589 died. Among them 221 were health care workers. The Ebola outbreak also left an estimated 4,000 survivors who he said needs medical care and social support.

“The country experienced a massive rise in cases in September and October 2014 which was curbed by putting in place treatment facilities, setting up safe and dignified burial teams and working with communities to identify and stop Ebola”. The use of rapid response teams and strong community involvement became the corner stone of the national response strategy. International partners supported the government to maintain a rapid response capacity to detect, identify and shut down any transmission chains, and also contributed technical assistance, personnel, food, supplies and equipment, Dr. Nordstrom told his Bintumani audience and the nation.

Health and Sanitation Minister, Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah described the day as a new era of fresh hope and a stepping stone of our stewardship in the fight to end the outbreak.

Sierra Leone Dr. Fofanah said has demonstrated to the world that we are a resilient nation with a high level of patriotism. This he said would go a long way in our history. The international partners stood by us in the fight and we must appreciate their contribution.

Noting the re-emergence of the disease, with reference to the Liberia experience, Dr. Fofanah called on Sierra Leoneans to adopt a “No turning back” attitude.

Sierra Leone, he told his audience now has the foundation for any future threat with support from Public Health England, Centre for Disease Control (CDC) USA, CDC China and other partners.

He commended Rtd. Major Paolo Conteh and the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) team and all the frontline health workers in the fight to contain the disease.

Making his statement, the Chief Executive Officer NERC, Rtd. Major Alfred Paolo Conteh described Sierra Leone as a fast growing economy attacked by a vicious enemy that has now been triumphantly defeated.

His mission he said ends in December 31, 2015 when the transition from NERC to Ministries of Health and Sanitation and Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs and Office of the National Security (ONS) takes effect.

The occasion Rtd Paolo noted is Sierra Leonean victory, and lauded Paramount Chiefs, Ward Councilors, Religious and Traditional Leaders, Security forces, partners, frontline health workers and all others that contributed to the victorious moment.

The survivors he noted play key role to end the Ebola fight, describing them as champions that should be embraced in all communities without stigma, and encouraged them to have safe sex with their partners in making sure we sustain the zero victory.

JAK/KK/MOHS/SLENA

By John James

With the World Health Organization declaration on Saturday that the 18-month Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone was officially over, it was a poignant weekend. On Sunday morning, when the champagne glasses hadn’t yet been cleaned, the crowds were still dispersing from the overnight beach parties, and the church congregations were dancing and clapping in jubilation, we were back on the road for a traditional reconciliation ceremony in one of the capital’s former Ebola hotspots.

Ebola kills quickly – after 21 days you’re either a survivor or dead. But surviving doesn’t mean everything returns to how it was before. On an individual level, health issues can persist in addition to lost livelihoods, stigma and trauma. At a community level, Ebola has also caused considerable damage – something that UNICEF with support from DFID is working to counteract. The day after the Ebola outbreak ended, we’re back at work.

At the dusty Lion’s football field in the Ferry Junction area of the capital, men, women and children shelter under a make-shift tarpaulin roof that billows up and down in the heavy winds. The rainy season is sending out a parting shot before it leaves for next year. After the introductions, it’s the turn of 12-year-old Aminata* to take the microphone. She tells of the care she received from the community when she was in Ebola quarantine – the encouraging hand-written notes passed to her by friends along with gifts of fruit and other small presents. However she also shares the downside – being kept apart from her brother after he was discharged from the treatment centre: those around thought they were protecting her from further harm.

She also speaks about the moment she was told her mother had died of Ebola – news she only received after the burial had taken place. As she described losing her “best friend”, her “everything” and “the only person she had ever felt close to”, people throughout the small gathering sobbed heavily. Her father had first gotten ill, and been cared for at home by Aminata’s mother and brother. All three later died while under care at an Ebola Treatment Unit.

Aminata was followed on the podium by a young boy, Ibrahim*. He had lived with an uncle who fell sick with Ebola. A neighbour called the 117 hotline and the uncle was taken away by health care workers, though he died the same day. In the coming weeks several other people in the household were also infected, and the house was under quarantine for around 60 days. Ibrahim described how his friends stayed away, and how his home was nicknamed the ‘Ebola house’. When the quarantine ended, no-one wanted to play with him and friends ran away. At football time, no-one picked him for the team. In school, no-one wanted to sit next to him.

In communities, Ebola has caused divisions, hurt and trauma that puts social cohesion at risk. In response, UNICEF is working with partners to use traditional healing ceremonies to promote dialogue and restoration. This sort of ceremony was last used at the end of the civil war in Sierra Leone to help facilitate community healing.

Many families were unable to say goodbye to the deceased in the traditional way, either because of the speed of burial or because they themselves were in quarantine or isolation. The normal rites such as vigils, religious ceremonies, and the traditional sharing of ‘fourah’ (rice paste) with kola nuts and the meat of a sacrificed animal were limited by quarantine, restrictions on gatherings, and economic hardship. “A lot of people felt they hadn’t been able to move on because these acts of remembering and sharing are very central for communities, including in the appeasing of the dead,” said Batu Shamel, a Child Protection officer with UNICEF. “In some communities they believe that without these ceremonies, the deceased won’t transfer successfully to the next life.”

The Ebola outbreak has also created divisions between neighbours, and between community leaders and communities. Unresolved tensions and accusations of blame remain in instances where neighbours might have called the 117 hotline to report a sick person next-door, who later died after they were taken away. Contact tracers who placed people in quarantine attract residual ill-feeling even if they were just doing their job. And some survivors and other affected people continue to feel the effects of stigma and discrimination.

These community healing ceremonies represent the first chance for such grievances to be aired. In an emotional scene, one community member openly accused a local councillor of being responsible for the death of his relative because of the councillor’s reporting of the sick man to the 117 hotline. The meetings give opportunities to community leaders and others to explain why certain things were done, and to ask for forgiveness for the hurt caused. At the end of the meeting, dialogue was restored between the two parties, and a greater understanding of what went on.

On Sunday 8 November 2015, the day after the ending of the outbreak, a memorial church service was held in Ferry Junction and the names of the deceased were read out and commemorated. In the afternoon, as the wind and rains died down, prayers were said, and after testimony from children and adults, community leaders asked for pardon, and promised to support the affected. As the sun came out, a lamb was killed and shared out, with rice paste and kola nuts. The world may not yet have a cure for Ebola, but the hard work of healing its after-effects is now underway.

*Names changed

John James is a Communications Specialist with UNICEF Sierra Leone

Michael

"The only solution is to leave and we can’t ask for help from other governments, so we choose to go the dangerous way."

"Life in Eritrea is sweet but our government is cruel, the laws are out of control. We have enough food, enough water and enough work but there are no rights, there is no democracy. The only solution is to leave and we can’t ask for help from other governments, so we choose to go the dangerous way. We choose to put ourselves in the hands of God.

When I told my mother I was going to Libya to try to get to Europe, she begged me not to do it. She was afraid because many, many Eritrean people have died this way. Three years ago my best friend died on his way to Europe and a few months ago my uncle tried but was taken by Daesh [Islamic State] and killed. But I couldn’t listen to my mother, I knew the journey would be long and dangerous but there’s no opportunity at home.

I first tried to leave in 2012 but I was caught and put in prison. I eventually made it to Ethiopia where there is democracy, but no work. I then went to Khartoum in Sudan and started my journey through the desert to Libya.

The Sahara is a very dangerous place, you see many dead people. Six of the people travelling with me died on the way to Ajdabiya. Ajdabiya is a hungry city and it is where we paid the smugglers. It was big money but my brother, who is in Israel, and my wife’s sister, who is in Sweden, helped us.

The trip to Tripoli passed through many checkpoints and took eight days. We were terribly afraid. If Daesh finds you, they will kill you and if the police find you, they will rob you. In fact, in Libya, it seems like every man, big or small, has a gun. Once we made it to Tripoli we lived in a big house with 700 other people divided into men and women and by nationality. At night we didn’t sleep because we could hear gunshots and fighting outside -there is no peace in Libya.

After 12 nights in Tripoli we were put on a small rubber boat in the middle of the night. Then, they took us, group by group, to a bigger wood boat. I was was with about 200 men in the hull of the boat, under the deck - water was coming in, it was very hot and the engine was making so much noise. The women, the children and three 'drivers' were on top but they were people like us, not smugglers, not captains. We prayed and most girls cried, everyone begged God to allow us to survive.

After seven hours we found the MY Phoenix and we were saved. Now I want to go to Sweden. There it is nice and they know about Eritrea’s problems and they will help us. My wife wants to go to Holland but we’ll talk about that."

Salif

"I wanted to leave but once in Libya you cannot exit the country by land, the only way you can leave is by sea."

"I am my mother’s oldest son so when my father died, I had to quit school and start working. Where I come from it is hard to make a living and if you don’t have the means to provide for your family, it is humiliating. Our government is corrupt, only those who are well connected benefit from government aid and government jobs. So I was forced to take to the road and search for better opportunities. I had heard from friends who left years ago that there were jobs in Libya, so I decided to go there.

When I arrived in Niger, I paid some people to take me from Agadez to Saba. When I arrived in Saba, the same people immediately detained me and told me I had to pay for my freedom. I told them I already paid for my transport all the way to Libya but that didn’t matter to them and after five days I called my family who sent the money to my kidnappers.

After I was freed, I started working with someone from Burkina Faso who offered me 10 dinars (EUR6.50) per day for work as construction worker. The work was hard and painful for me but I did it because I needed money. I worked for 40 days but was never paid. I found other jobs and, as soon as I gathered enough money, I went to Tripoli hoping for a better situation.

When I arrived in Tripoli, I met an African who had been living there for a while. I explained that I needed help because I didn’t know the city. He took me to an apartment building where only Africans lived and told me I could stay there with them. Life in Tripoli was much harder than in Saba. Even the people who drove us to Tripoli treated us very badly and beat us often. All of us tried to hide from the police.

One day I was told of a person who made it to Europe and he gave me the contacts for a man with a boat. I wanted to leave and once in Libya you cannot exit the country by land, the only way you can leave is by sea. So I called this man with a boat and we agreed I would pay him 900 dinars (EUR600) for the trip to Italy.

Once we saw the rubber boat, we realised how dangerous the journey at sea would be. Around 30 minutes before we met the rescue ship our rubber boat started leaking. When the rescue boat arrived, they told us to be patient, to get on the ladder one by one, but some of us did not manage to be patient. At one point everybody tried to save themselves and a lot of people fell into the water but now I am safe.

I left home so I could to provide for my mother. I pray that I can make her comfortable. For now, I would like to go to England or Switzerland. But most of all, I hope one day I will be able to go back to Burkina and hug my mum."

Batu

"Life in Sierra Leone seems to be difficult because of Ebola but that is not why I am here.

I am married to a Lebanese man that I met in Sierra Leone after my first husband, with whom I had two boys, died 12 years ago. We had three more children together and at first, we had money but in 2012 we started struggling. So we went back to his family in Lebanon.

They didn’t like me. My father in law, my mother in law, his brothers and his sister all disliked me. They said that their son must not marry a black woman. When I gave birth to my children, they were darker than the Lebanese people, so his family hit me. We suffered a lot and even eating was a problem because my husband didn’t have a job.

Eventually they sent me back to Sierra Leone and allowed me to take only the youngest of my children with me, two year old Mohammed. I had no choice but to take him and leave the others behind.

Back in Kailahun, one of my friends told me his sister was in Libya and that I should go meet her. They gave me the number of a driver and soon I had borrowed enough money for the trip. The travel was difficult, we had very little food and the people along the way really harassed us. The men asked us to have sex with them, they did that to me many times. When they see you have a baby they ask you if you’re married and sometimes they leave you in peace. But the single girls … they do whatever they want to them and beat them if they refuse.

Once in Libya, I went to Tripoli but I had no money and I needed to find a job. I found a man who needed care and a housekeeper and I worked for him but for a black person it is not easy to live in Libya. If they see you in the streets they take everything from you, sometimes they beat you, kidnap you and even kill you. In the nights they shoot, shoot, shoot. People break into your house, take your money and all you have. They say that this is their country’s money and we have no right to have it. That’s why black people stick together, it is safer that way.

I had planned to stay in Libya but the conditions were so bad that after a month, I decided to go to Europe. The smugglers asked me for 1,200 dinars for the crossing, which is around 600 dollars, and took me to a place in the naked sun. One night they came to us and took us to the boat but the boat was made of rubber. We thought we would be rescued in an hour or two but after many hours the boat started losing air, everybody prayed and cried. Nobody thought that we would have survived but we continued praying. After a while we saw a helicopter, then we saw a plane and finally we saw a ship and were rescued.

In the future I want to go back to my children. I don’t know anyone in Europe. I have my sons Seita and Husman in Sierra Leone and Jad and Aloushe in Lebanon."

Zachariah

"Those of us who have come, have come this way because we have no other option."

"My parents were forced from Palestine in 1947 and moved to Syr in Lebanon. I fled from there to Benghazi in Libya in 1994. I worked as a carpenter for over 20 years. But now Libya is in bad condition and I also have some physical problems. I can’t find medical help and I can’t work anymore.

Before Libya was very good but now, in Benghazi there are a lot of problems. There are many people with guns and many militias in Libya who all fight against each other and us small guys, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Palestinians, Ghanaians and other Africans are caught in the middle.

They come at you and ask how much money you have and take it all. They shoot you, they burn you, they slap you. They abuse your body and very violent. If you have a daughter and they see her in the road, and they like her, they will come at night and rape her in front of you. There are thieves everywhere – they took my car, my money, my documents but there’s nothing you can do. There’s no police, no army and there are no rules at all. Nobody can help you. The worst is in the streets, especially in the evening, from 6pm onwards, if you work late you meet a lot of bad people on the way back home. You never know what they will do.

One year ago, I made the decision to take my family to Europe but being Palestinians, we had document problems and it was impossible to leave. Those of us, who have come, have come this way because we have no other option. The rest of my family is still in Benghazi, but there was not enough money for all of us to leave.

When I first got into the boat I thought I would die. But I thought, look, if the Prophet decides that I will die at sea, I will die at sea. Now, I want to go to Sweden or to Norway."

Agnes

"I was beaten with bare hands, with sticks, with guns."

"I left Eritrea four years ago with my husband. My husband was made to serve in the army, and he couldn’t provide for us. If he left the army, he’d be put in jail. Many people go to jail for no reason in Eritrea.

When we left we went to Sudan. We spent three years going from place to place, looking for work and trying to make enough money to come to Europe. Finally we made a bit of money, but it wasn’t enough for all of us, so I left with my daughter. My husband couldn’t come with us.

Crossing the desert between Sudan and Libya was very difficult. It took seven days, non-stop, in an overcrowded car.

After crossing the border, we moved from one town to the next until we arrived in Tripoli. We travelled in containers, like animals or objects. It was very dark and hot in the containers. Many people fainted because of the heat, and some died.

Libya is a very dangerous place. There are a lot of armed people. Some of them are Daesh. They kill a lot of people and carry out a lot of kidnappings.

When we arrived in Tripoli they put us in a house with 600 to 700 other people and locked us in. We had no water to wash ourselves, we had very little food and we were forced to sleep one upon the other. It was very difficult for my daughter – she fell sick many times.

There was a lot of violence. I was beaten with bare hands, with sticks, with guns. If you move, they beat you. If you talk, they beat you. We spent two months like that, being beaten every day.

They asked us to pay to go to Europe, so I paid US$1,700 for me and my daughter. We were lucky because women and children were put on the deck of the boat. The people below were in the dark and it was really hot down there. I could hear some of them saying they couldn’t breathe.

I knew that the journey would be very dangerous and difficult, especially for my daughter. But what was the alternative? We could not survive in Eritrea or Sudan. Our government does not allow people to leave. With our documents in Eritrea, there was no other way for us to get to Europe."

INTRODUCTION

Reintegrating those most affected by Ebola back into their communities is central to a country’s post-Ebola recovery. The reintegration process helps those affected to cope with the impact of the outbreak and to regain a sense of normality. It is also an essential part of increasing community preparedness and building resilience to possible future emergencies such as a new epidemic or a natural disaster.

Out of approximately 28,500 suspected, probable and confirmed cases, nearly 11,300 people have died since December 2013. With such a significant caseload, everyone living in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia was affected by the Ebola outbreak in some way. Ebola survivors and their households, grieving families, orphans, quarantined people and frontline workers are among the most affected groups. This report outlines the key challenges these groups face as they reintegrate into their communities, and explores the main challenges for the response in supporting them through the process.

KEY FINDINGS

+ Stigma: The major consequences of stigma include the limited access to and use of basic services, loss of livelihoods, negative social and psychosocial impacts, marginalisation from community dialogue and violence towards those affected. The extent of this stigma remains unclear. Uncertainty about Ebola viral persistence in body fluids might also increase the intensity of stigma towards Ebola survivors.

+ Health: The outbreak caused mental health issues throughout the affected population while Ebola survivors often experience secondary medical complications hampering their return to a state of normality and ability to reintegrate.

+ Socio-economic issues: The outbreak has reduced the incomes of affected groups’ for a variety of reasons including the death of income-generating family members, an inability to do agricultural work while in quarantine and the loss of work relating to the response as international programmes scale down. All these factors make it difficult for those affected to reintegrate to the social and economic life of their communities.

+ Child protection: Orphans and other affected children face a heightened risk of marginalisation and of dropping out of school, potentially leading to further protection issues.

+ Challenges for the response: Response activities aimed at supporting the reintegration of those most affected by Ebola are ongoing and planned. However, the response in all three countries faces issues related to a lack of community ownership of reintegration activities, lack of national capacity to plan and provide services and the potential lack of hand over once most international humanitarian programmes close at the end of 2015. There is also a danger that affected groups could be further ostracised if programmes are seen to target them at the expense of wider populations in need.

Information gaps and needs

• Severity and duration of stigma
• Number and needs of child survivors and survivor households
• Duration and acuteness of survivor health needs
• Impact of Ebola on the teenage pregnancy rate and related reintegration needs
• Nutritional needs of Ebola affected children
• Extent of homelessness of affected populations
• Number of frontline workers who have not received full hazard compensation

SUMMARY

• On 7 November WHO declared that Ebola virus transmission had been stopped in Sierra Leone. The country has now entered a 90-day period of enhanced surveillance, which is scheduled to conclude on 5 February 2016. Both Liberia and Sierra Leone have now achieved objective 1 of the phase 3 response framework: to interrupt all remaining chains of Ebola virus transmission. Guinea reported no confirmed cases in the week to 8 November. A total of 4 cases have been reported from Guinea in the past 21 days, all of whom are members of the same family from the village of Kondeyah, in the subprefecture of Kaliah in Forecariah. All 69 contacts currently being followed in Guinea are located in Kaliah and are scheduled to complete their 21-day follow-up period on 14 November. However, 60 of the contacts are considered to be high risk, and one contact from Forecariah has been lost to follow up with the past 42 days. Therefore there remains a near-term risk of further cases among both registered and untraced contacts.

• Robust surveillance measures are essential to ensure the rapid detection of any reintroduction or re-emergence of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in currently unaffected areas, and are central to the attainment of objective 2 of the phase 3 response framework: to manage and respond to the consequences of residual Ebola risks. To that end, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have each put systems in place to enable members of the public to report any case of illness or death that they suspect may be related to EVD. In the week to 8 November, 24 634 such alerts were reported in Guinea, with alerts reported from all of the country’s 34 prefectures. Equivalent data are not currently available for Liberia. In Sierra Leone, 1690 alerts were reported from 12 of 14 districts in the week ending 25 October (the most recent week for which data are available).

• As part of each country’s EVD surveillance strategy, blood samples or oral swabs should be collected from any individuals with clinical symptoms compatible with EVD, and from any dead person aged 5 years and above who died within 14 days of onset of symptoms and for whom cause of death has not been determined. In the week to 8, November 9 operational laboratories in Guinea tested a total of 633 new and repeat samples from 12 of the country’s 34 prefectures. 89% of all samples tested in Guinea were swabs collected from dead bodies. By contrast, 79% of the 653 new samples tested in Liberia over the same period were blood samples collected from live patients. In addition, all 15 counties in Liberia submitted samples for testing by the country’s 4 operational laboratories. 1294 new samples were collected from all 14 districts in Sierra Leone and tested by 9 operational laboratories. 77% of samples in Sierra Leone were swabs collected from dead bodies.

• 470 deaths in the community were reported from Guinea in the week to 8 November. This represents approximately 20% of the 2248 deaths expected based on estimates of the population and a crude mortality rate of 11 deaths per 1000 people per year. All but 4 of the 470 reported deaths were buried safely. Equivalent data are not yet available for Liberia. In Sierra Leone, 1452 reports of community deaths were received through the alert system during the week ending 25 October (the most recent week for which data are available), representing approximately 70% of the 2075 deaths expected each week based on estimates of the population and a crude mortality rate of 17 deaths per 1000 people per year.

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

 DISCHARGED CASES = 4,051

 CUMULATIVE CASES = 8,704

 CUMULATIVE DEATHS =3,589

 Suspected cases = 5,140

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Thursday 11/12/2015 - 00:01 GMT

A British nurse who suffered a relapse after contracting Ebola in Sierra Leone has been released from isolation after being treated for meningitis caused by the virus, her hospital said.

Pauline Cafferkey, 39, had been kept in isolation at London's Royal Free Hospital since October 9 and became "critically ill" shortly afterwards.

But she is no longer infectious and has been now transferred to a hospital in the city of Glasgow in Scotland, where she is from.

"We are delighted that Pauline has made a full recovery from Ebola and is now well enough to return to Scotland. We would like to wish her well for the future," a spokeswoman for the Royal Free Hospital said in a statement.

Cafferkey initially contracted Ebola while working as a nurse at a treatment centre in Kerry Town in Sierra Leone run by charity Save the Children.

She was diagnosed with the disease in December last year on her return to Glasgow and spent almost a month in isolation in the Royal Free Hospital, which has Britain's only isolation ward for the lethal disease, before being released in January.

But in October she was re-admitted to hospital, suffering from rare late complications due to the virus.

Royal Free infectious diseases consultant Michael Jacobs explained at the time that the original Ebola virus had been inside her brain replicating at a low level, and had re-emerged to cause meningitis.

"This is an unprecedented situation," Jacobs said.

Forty people in contact with her were offered vaccinations following her relapse, while Cafferkey was treated with experimental drug GS5734 while in isolation.

Upon her release from hospital Wednesday, Cafferkey thanked the staff of the hospital for their "amazing care".

"For a second time, staff across many departments of the hospital have worked incredibly hard to help me recover and I will always be grateful to them and the NHS," or National Health Service, Cafferkey said.

"I am looking forward to returning to Scotland and to seeing my family and friends again."

The 2013 Ebola outbreak in west Africa infected some 28,000 people and left 11,300 dead, the virus' highest toll since its identification in central Africa in 1976.

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© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Freetown Sierra Leone, 10 November 2015 – With no new reported cases of Ebola since the 27th of September, Sierra Leone has been officially declared Ebola free by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) claimed the lives of 3,589 people in Sierra Leone.

"Of course a significant milestone has been reached, but Ebola has a history of resurfacing. Conscious efforts must be made by the Government and its partners to prevent its resurgence," says Leslie Scott, National Director, World Vision Sierra Leone.

The aid and development agency’s community development model enabled it to educate and mobilize large groups of people to prevent the spread of Ebola. The communities World Vision worked with were among the first to be declared Ebola-free.

Our inclusive faith-based approach was also key in achieving the 42-day Ebola free milestone. We trained faith leaders from Christian and Muslim communities and local chiefs in Ebola prevention and control, who in turn, engaged their respective communities. These faith leaders helped change behaviors and attitudes concerning traditional burial practices and the need for hand washing,” says Leslie Scott.

“We would also like to recognize our key donors and partners, OFDA, DFID, USAID and Irish Aid for their tremendous contribution to the fight against Ebola. We owe this victory to God first, and to collaborative, sacrificial and collective work by government and its partners working in Sierra Leone.”

The country is on the road to recovery but there are still major challenges ahead in post-Ebola Sierra Leone including a very fragile health system. World Vision continues to urge the Government of Sierra Leone and the international community to:

• Invest in health systems and structures

• Build the capacity of medical personnel. Sierra Leone lost its only virologist to Ebola as well as 221 other health workers.

• Ensure hospitals and health centers have essential equipment and supplies

• Continue social mobilization and health education throughout the country

• Develop a scheme for the protection of children orphaned by the virus

• Be vigilant about the possible resurgence of Ebola

“At this time I’d like to congratulate all of those who made the victory over Ebola possible; our NGO partners, the Government of Sierra Leone, medical personnel, our community partners and, last but not least, our brave burial workers who put their lives on the line to prevent the further spread of the virus,” says Leslie Scott.

• ENDS -

SAFE AND DIGNIFIED BURIALS (SDB)

World Vision-led Safe and dignified Burial Consortium comprising CRS and CAFOD has done a great job. As of 30 October 2015, Our 800 team members in the SMART Consortium have provided safe and dignified burials for 36,533 people, including Ebola victims and others.17, 229 burials were conducted by WV burial teams, alone.

WORLD VISION IN SIERRA LEONE

World Vision has been operating in Sierra Leone since March 1996, and is active in in four Districts: Bo, Kono, Pujehun and Bonthe. During the Ebola crisis the aid and development agency expanded its operation into five more Districts: Moyamba, Kailahun, Tonkolili, Kambia and Port Loko.

There are some 58,000 sponsored children in Sierra Leone. World Vision Sierra Leone’s strategic priorities are Health and Nutrition, Education, Livelihoods, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and Child Protection.

For further information please contact:

Sahr Ngaujah, Acting Communications Manager, WVSL

Mobile: +232 (0) 76-609-251

Email: sahr_ngaujah@wvi.org

Skype: sahrngaujah