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Sierra Leone: UN Women receives Presidential Award for action to confront the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone

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Source: UN Women
Country: Liberia, Sierra Leone

In a ceremony on 18 December, UN Women was presented a Presidential Award in Sierra Leone State House in recognition of its contribution to fighting Ebola. During the ceremony 200 individuals and organizations were honored for their work to fight Ebola.

During the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, UN Women facilitated mobilization and information efforts targeting women, who were disproportionately affected by this disease, coordinated UN efforts to address gender within the response, and supported the collection of sex-disaggregated data. In Sierra Leone and Liberia, UN Women worked with local radio stations and with traditional leaders to raise awareness and aid prevention; produced educational materials to train health workers; supported orphaned children and stigmatized survivors; ensured that women’s needs were reflected in all aspects of the UN’s humanitarian response; provided economic grants for hard-hit cross-border traders; and more.

The silver medal award was accepted on behalf of UN Women by Mary Okumu, a UN Women representative for Sierra Leone and Baindu Massaquoi, UN Women Programme Specialist who was seconded to the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) during the emergency.


World: Humanitarian Aid on the Move No.16 - December 2015

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Source: Groupe Urgence - Réhabilitation - Développement
Country: Guinea, Haiti, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, World

Editorial

In these troubled and violent times, with the migration crisis, conflicts in Syria and the Central African Republic, and terrorist attacks here and abroad, it is essential to preserve the fundamental principles of our societies, such as respect for human dignity, solidarity and humanism, so that external crises do not turn into crises at home… Humanitarian actors have a role to play in this respect, for example, by calling on the authorities to treat refugees and migrants with greater decency (see “Médecins du Monde’s position on migration”, by Françoise Sivignon).

They also have important responsibilities, in terms of the quality and effectiveness of the aid they deliver, as illustrated by the response to the Ebola epidemic (see “Ebola: the cost of poor governance in the health sector”, by François Grünewald). Every type of programme can be an opportunity to learn (see the articles by Julie Patinet, “The sustainable management of water points” and by Samantha Brangeon, “The waste produced by humanitarians”). In order to learn, however, there need to be mechanisms in place to monitor, evaluate and re-orientate action (see “How should we measure resilience?” by Valérie Léon). But over and above technical and institutional issues, the sector also needs to analyse its ability to really strengthen local crisis response capacities (see “Towards devolution of humanitarian response: South Sudan perspective”, by Henri Nzeyimana). Much more than a technical question, the debate about the devolution of humanitarian response concerns a change of paradigm.

Sierra Leone: Health troubles persist for Ebola survivers: study

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Source: Agence France-Presse
Country: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone

Paris, France | AFP | Tuesday 12/22/2015 - 23:30 GMT

by Mariëtte Le Roux

The lucky ones who survive Ebola may suffer potentially blinding vision problems, hearing loss and joint pain for months afterwards, medical experts reported on Wednesday.

Many endured the debilitating after-effects without access to treatment in west African countries stretched beyond their limits by the worst Ebola outbreak in history.

Of 277 survivors examined at a clinic in Sierra Leone, about four months after they were discharged, nearly 80 percent reported joint pain, said the experts.

Sixty percent experienced vision problems, 18 percent suffered eye inflammation that could make them blind, and a quarter reported hearing difficulties.

"The numbers were higher than we initially expected," study lead author Sharmistha Mishra of the University of Toronto told AFP by email.

There had been reports of Ebola after-effects before this outbreak, which started in December 2013.

But the new study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, claimed to be the largest and most detailed yet into the nature of post-Ebola complications, and how widespread they were.

Survivors of the outbreak in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea "are experiencing significant long-term effects with potential for long-term disability including visual loss," said Mishra.

The west African outbreak has killed over 11,300 of more than 28,600 people infected.

In the affected countries, not even primary care is readily accessible, the study authors said. and specialist treatment rare,

Sierra Leone had two ophthalmologists at the time of the outbreak.

The team had examined Ebola survivors in Port Loko, Sierra Leone, between March 7 and April 24 this year.

Lasting consequences

They found that the higher a patient's "viral load" had been at the height of their illness, the worse the complications afterwards.

And the team uncovered further evidence that Ebola virus may live on in specialised "sanctuary sites" in the body -- including the eye, where it may be the cause of the vision problems many patients had reported.

While Ebola virus clears from the blood within weeks, the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) has previously said it may persist for up to a year in the eye or semen, and in the breast milk of women infected while pregnant.

The WHO website says transmission by survivors, sexually or otherwise, "appears to be rare".

One of the study authors was American doctor Ian Crozier, who fell ill while treating patients in Sierra Leone, recovered, and in whose eye doctors found Ebola virus months after his hospital discharge.

The team pointed out there had been hardly any care for Ebola survivers in the early part of the outbreak due to the overwhelming and urgent challenge of treating the ill.

"These findings emphasise the importance of ongoing clinical follow-up and care of all patients, starting at discharge from an ETU (Ebola treatment unit)," wrote the authors.

They also underscored "the urgent need for the greater provision of ocular (eye) care."

Commenting on the study, Luke Hunt of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine said there was a dire need to rebuild west Africa's shattered health systems.

"The consequences of the world's largest outbreak of EVD extend beyond the immediate effect of the epidemic," he wrote.

mlr/boc

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Sierra Leone: Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of the Sierra Leone Ebola Recovery Fund (SLERF)

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Source: Government of Sierra Leone, UN Development Programme
Country: Sierra Leone

The Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations are delighted to announce the establishment of the Sierra Leone Ebola Recovery Fund (SLERF) to ensure the smooth implementation of the country’s National Ebola Recovery Strategy. The SLERF was developed and finalized with technical and financial support from the United Nations Development Programme in Sierra Leone.

The establishment of the Sierra Leone Ebola Recovery Fund (SLERF) follows the successful International UN Ebola Conference hosted by the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 12 July 2015 in New York in which donors pledged US$3.4 billion to the three Ebola-affected countries in the Mano River Basin. Although an estimated US$894 million was pledged for Sierra Leone, the bulk of these pledges are repackaged financing from traditional development partners.

With this National Fund now established, the Government of Sierra Leone is seeking contributions from partners including donors who pledged at UN International Ebola conference, other governments, foundations, the private sector and the public at large. To demonstrate leadership and ownership, the Government of Sierra Leone is contributing US$ 1 million into the Trust Fund.

UNDP’s Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTF-O), which is appointed trustee of the fund, will perform its fiduciary role in accordance with the highest international standards in support of the governing body of the Fund – the Steering Board - which will be comprised of the Government, UN and contributing partners. The SLERF will ensure excellence and full transparency in receipt and administration of contributions, transfer of funding to approved projects and periodic reporting and monitoring highlighting achievements.

The Government of Sierra Leone took a leading role in responding to the Ebola crisis with support from international community. Furthermore, the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) was set up to meet immediate needs related to the unprecedented fight against Ebola.

With the response now almost over, and the transition to recovery underway, the implementation of the National Ebola Recovery Strategy is critical to get the country back on its pre-Ebola development path. The NERS is being implemented over two phases (1) 6- 9 months period that focusses on getting to and staying at zero cases, (2) 10-24 months that focuses on implementing immediate recovery priorities in Health, Education, Energy, Water, Social Protection and Private Sector Development. The successful implementation of the 10-24 months phase will lay the foundation for transitioning back to the national development plan-Agenda for Prosperity, 2013-2018.

With the SLERF now operational, donors have a transparent and effective financing mechanism where they can place their pledges to support the Government of Sierra Leone in implementing its Ebola recovery strategy.

Sierra Leone: Interagency Collaboration on Ebola - Situation Report No. 13 (21 December)

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Source: World Health Organization, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone

Highlights

  • No confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were reported in the two weeks to 13 December. In Liberia, all 166 contacts, including 15 high-risk contacts associated with the recent cluster of 3 confirmed cases reported in Greater Monrovia completed their 21-day follow-up period on 11 December.

  • In Guinea, no prefecture has active transmission and no known contact is being followed in the entire country

  • In Sierra Leone, Kenema and Western Area districts have been chosen as pilot areas for the transfer of Ebola coordination from the District Ebola Response Centre (DERC) to the District Health Management Teams (DHMT) under the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS). At the national level, the coordination is being transferred from the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) to the Office of National Security (ONS) and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS). The transfer will be effective as of 31 December Three core areas of responsibilities to be transferred are fleet management, asset transfer and hazard payment systems. A similar transition for the other 12 districts is ongoing and will be completed in the course of December 2015.

  • The Inter-Agency Collaboration on Ebola (ICE) held its last board meeting on 17 December to discuss the transition of leadership and coordination of Ebola-related activities from the ICE to UN regional and country teams. The leadership and coordination at the country-level will be transferred to the Resident Coordinators, while at the regional level responsibility will go to the regional team and the Assistant Administrator and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa. The transfer of the overall responsibility will be completed by the 31 December.

Epidemiological status

  • On 29 December, Guinea will have completed the 42 day follow-up period if no new confirmed cases are reported. It will then enter a 90-day period of enhanced surveillance, which will end on March 27, if no further cases are identified.

  • If Guinea completes its 42 day follow-up on December 29 without another confirmed case identified, it will indicate that all three countries have interrupted the initial chains of human-to-human transmission. Nonetheless, on-going vigilance will be required across the three countries to manage the residual risk of potential re-emergence of Ebola virus disease, e.g. from persistence of virus in body fluids in a small proportion of the survivor population. Measures are being put in place to strengthen national capacities to prevent, detect and respond to re-emergence of the disease. In Liberia, 210 people have so far been vaccinated in the ring vaccination campaign. The initial target was 900 people, but the number is being revised as the primary contacts are no longer being followed up after having completed the 21-day observation period.

  • Human-to-human transmission linked to the recent cluster of cases in Liberia will end on 14 January 2016, 42 days after the two most-recent cases received a second consecutive negative test for Ebola virus, if no further cases are reported.

  • Sierra Leone is currently observing 90-day period of enhanced surveillance which will end on 5 February 2016.

Sierra Leone: Ebola Outbreak, Sierra Leone: Communication: Challenges and good practices

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Source: Assessment Capacities Project
Country: Sierra Leone

INTRODUCTION

Box 1. Effective communication is critical from the onset of any humanitarian emergency. The information needs of people affected by crises often remain largely unmet, however, and not enough capacity and resources are dedicated to address them meaningfully (BBC World Service Trust, 2008, Internews, 2011, CDAC/ACAPS, 03/2014).

After the Ebola outbreak was declared in Sierra Leone, in June 2014, early messages about the high mortality rate of Ebola were met with fear and denial by many communities (BBC, 14/06/2015). At the peak of the outbreak, the government’s order to place more than one million people under quarantine further damaged trust between affected communities and responders (ACAPS, 10/2015) As the outbreak spread, it was important to find appropriate ways to tell people how to minimise the risk of catching the disease and what to do if it affected them and their families. The way messages were developed and disseminated evolved with the epidemic. In Sierra Leone cases spread silently until May 2014, then uncontrollably until November 2014, before slowly getting down to zero in November 2015. Now that the country has been declared Ebola free, communication remains a key aspect of community mobilisation efforts to address remaining Ebola-related issues, such as survivor stigma and complacency towards prevention measures. This is the second of two reports that ACAPS is producing with the aim of identifying lessons learned and good practice in community-led communication processes. This report focuses on Sierra Leone and the first covers Liberia. The grey boxes indicate content that relates to communication in emergencies in general and is common to both reports. The report covers:

  • changing behaviours of the affected population;

  • most effective channels for reaching communities; and

  • most trusted actors for delivering information and adapting messages to the needs of affected populations.

Central African Republic: West and Central Africa Region Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (15 – 21 December 2015)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

OVER 6,000 SEEK REFUGE AFTER BOUAR CLASHES

Fearing more attacks following clashes between armed groups in Bouar in NanaMambéré province in late November, around 6,500 people have fled their homes and sought refuge around the MINUSCA compound and a local church.
Some of the displaced spend the night at the sites and return to their homes during the day. Healthcare, water, hygiene and sanitation are the main needs.

REFEREDUM VOTE PASSED

On 21 December, electoral officials announced that the constitutional referendum held on 13 December was overwhelmingly passed by 93 per cent of voters. This paves the way for presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for 27 December.

EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE

NO NEW CASES REPORTED

No new cases were reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in the week ending on 20 December. Incidents of people handling dead bodies were reported in three localities in Guinea’s Forécariah prefecture. Door-to-door information campaigns are ongoing across the country focusing on vigilance at the community level. In Liberia, countyspecific epidemic preparedness and response plans are being rolled out simultaneously in all the 15 counties as a first step towards forming rapid response teams at the county level. Sierra Leone has begun the transfer of some Ebola emergency response tasks from the national and district level to the Office of National Security and the district health teams.

NIGERIA

MORE THAN 1,000 RETURN FROM CAMEROON

On 16 December, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said that it received 1,187 Nigerians who had returned from Cameroon where they had fled to due to Boko Haram attacks. They arrived between 14 and 16 December at a camp hosting internally displaced persons in Fufore in Adamawa state.
The agency also said that 18,600 Nigerians have returned from Cameroon in recent months owing to improving security in northeast Nigeria and concerns by the Cameroonian authorities over their prolonged stay in their country.

COTE D’IVOIRE

REFUGEE REPATRIATION RESUMES

The voluntary repatriation of Ivorian refugees in Liberia resumed on 18 December after halting for more than a year due to the Ebola outbreak. Some 654 people left Harper town and another refugee camp in eastern Liberia for their homes in western Côte d’Ivoire. Two more convoys are planned before the end of the year, bringing the expected number of returnees by the end of 2015 to more than 1,000 people. Around 11,000 of the 38,000 Ivorian refugees in Liberian camps have said they wish to return immediately.

Central African Republic: Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre : Aperçu humanitaire hebdomadaire (15 – 21 décembre 2015)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone

RÉPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE

PLUS DE 6 000 PERSONNES CHERCHENT REFUGE APRÈS DES AFFRONTEMENTS À BOUAR

Craignant d'autres attaques suivant des affrontements entre groupes armés à Bouar dans la province de Nana-Mambéré à la fin novembre, environ 6 500 personnes ont fui leurs maisons et trouvé refuge autour de l'enceinte de la MINUSCA et dans une église locale. Certains déplacés passent la nuit sur les sites et rentrent chez eux pendant la journée. Des soins de santé, l'eau, l'hygiène et l'assainissement sont les principaux besoins.

REFERENDUM CONSTITUTIONNEL ADOPTÉ

Le 21 décembre, les responsables électoraux ont annoncé les résultats du référendum constitutionnel organisé le 13 décembre où le OUI l’a emporté à 93%. Ce referendum ouvre la voie à des élections présidentielles et législatives prévues pour le 27 décembre.

MALADIE À VIRUS EBOLA (MVE)

AUCUN NOUVEAU CAS SIGNALÉ

Aucun nouveau cas n’a été signalé en Guinée, au Libéria et en Sierra Leone dans la semaine se terminant le 20 décembre. Des incidents impliquant des personnes qui manipulent les dépouilles ont été signalés dans trois localités de la préfecture de Forécariah en Guinée. Des campagnes d’information sont en cours à travers le pays, mettant l'accent sur la vigilance au niveau de la communauté. Au Libéria, les plans de préparation aux épidémies et d'intervention spécifiques au niveau départemental sont mis en place de façon simultanée dans l’ensemble des 15 départements existant. Ceci est le premier pas vers la formation d'équipes d'intervention rapide au niveau des départements. La Sierra Leone quant à elle, a commencé le transfert de certaines tâches d'intervention d'urgence du niveau national et des districts vers l'Office de la sécurité nationale ainsi qu’au aux équipes de santé de district.

NIGÉRIA

PLUS DE 1 000 RETOURS DU CAMEROUN

Le 16 décembre, l'Agence nationale de gestion des urgences (NEMA) a annoncé avoir reçu 1 187 Nigérians rentrés du Cameroun où ils avaient fui à cause des attaques de Boko Haram.
Ils sont arrivés entre le 14 et le 16 décembre dans un camp d'hébergement de personnes déplacées à Fufore, dans l'État de l'Adamawa. L'Agence a également déclaré que 18 600 Nigérians sont rentrés du Cameroun ces derniers mois en raison d'une amélioration de la sécurité au nord du Nigéria et des préoccupations des autorités camerounaises concernant leur séjour prolongé au Cameroun.

COTE D’IVOIRE

REPRISE DU RAPATRIEMENT DES RÉFUGIÉS

Le rapatriement volontaire des réfugiés ivoiriens au Libéria a repris le 18 décembre, après un arrêt de plus d'un an en raison de l'épidémie de maladie à virus Ebola. Quelque 654 personnes ont quitté la ville de Harper et un autre camp de réfugiés dans l'est du Libéria pour leurs maisons dans l'ouest de la Côte d'Ivoire. Deux autres convois sont prévus avant la fin de l'année, portant le nombre attendu de rapatriés d'ici la fin de 2015 à plus de 1 000 personnes.
Environ 11 000 des 38 000 réfugiés ivoiriens dans les camps libériens ont émis le souhait de retourner immédiatement.


Sierra Leone: WHO Ebola Situation Report - 23 December 2015

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Source: World Health Organization
Country: Guinea, Italy, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America

SUMMARY

  • No confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were reported in the week to 20 December. All contacts associated with the cluster of 3 confirmed cases of EVD reported from Liberia in the week to 22 November have now completed 21-day follow-up. The first-reported case in the cluster, a 15-year-old boy, died on 23 November. Two subsequent cases, the boy’s father and younger brother, tested negative twice for Ebola virus on 3 December and were discharged.
  • Human-to-human transmission linked to the recent cluster of cases in Liberia will be declared to have ended on 14 January 2016, 42 days after the 2 most-recent cases received a second consecutive negative test for Ebola virus, if no further cases are reported. Human-to-human transmission linked to the primary outbreak in Guinea will be declared to have ended on 29 December 2015, 42 days after the country’s most recent case, reported on 29 October, received a second consecutive negative test for Ebola virus. In Sierra Leone, human-to-human transmission linked to the primary outbreak was declared to have ended on 7 November 2015. The country has now entered a 90-day period of enhanced surveillance scheduled to conclude on 5 February 2016.
  • The recent cluster of cases in Liberia is now understood to have been a result of the re-emergence of Ebola virus that had persisted in a previously infected individual. Although the probability of such re-emergence events is low, the risk of further transmission following a re-emergence underscores the importance of implementing a comprehensive package of services for survivors that includes the testing of appropriate bodily fluids for the presence of Ebola virus RNA. The governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone, with support from partners including WHO and US CDC, have implemented voluntary semen screening and counselling programmes for male survivors in order to help affected individuals understand their risk and take necessary precautions to protect close contacts. 341 male survivors had accessed semen screening services up to 20 December in Liberia and Sierra Leone. A network of clinical services for survivors is also being expanded in Liberia and Sierra Leone, with plans for comprehensive national policies for the care of EVD survivors due to be completed in January 2016.
  • In order to effectively manage and respond to the consequences of residual Ebola risks, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have each put surveillance systems in place to enable health workers and members of the public to report any case of illness or death that they suspect may be related to EVD to the relevant authorities. In the week to 20 December, 1036 community deaths alerts were reported in Guinea from all of the country’s 34 prefectures. Over the same period 9 operational laboratories in Guinea tested a total of 537 new and repeat samples from 13 of the country’s 34 prefectures. In Liberia, 842 alerts were received from all 15 of the country’s counties. The country’s 5 operational laboratories tested 939 samples for EVD over the same period. In Sierra Leone, 1446 alerts were reported from all of the country’s 14 districts in the week ending 29 November (the most recent week for which data are available). 991 new samples were tested for EVD by the country’s 8 operational laboratories in the week ending 20 December.
  • The deployment of rapid-response teams following the detection of a new confirmed case continues to be a cornerstone of the national response strategy in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Each country has at least 1 national rapid-response team, with strengthening of national and subnational rapid-response capacity and validation of incident-response plans continuing through December and January.

World: Polio this week as of 23 December 2015

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Source: Global Polio Eradication Initiative
Country: Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Iraq, Kenya, Lao People's Democratic Republic (the), Liberia, Madagascar, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Uganda, Ukraine, World, Yemen

  • Looking back at 2015 and ahead at 2016: a wrap-up of the year shows fewer cases in fewer places than ever before. The report on the status of polio eradication to WHO's Executive Board also summarizes the progress on the Polio Endgame Plan, and on Resolution WHA68.3, adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2015.

  • There are four months to go until the globally synchronized switch from the trivalent to bivalent oral polio vaccine. This will be an important milestone in achieving a polio-free world. Read more here

Sierra Leone: President Koroma launches evd lessons learned report

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Source: Government of Sierra Leone
Country: Sierra Leone

Freetown, Dec. 22, 2015 (MOHS) – The President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has officially launched the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Lessons Learnt Report at the Miatta Conference Hall, Youyi Building, Freetown.

The Result came out from a study initiated and conducted by the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC), with support from FAO, Focus 1000, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNOCHA, UN Women, WFP and WHO.

Addressing the Launching ceremony on Monday December 21, 2015, President Koroma described the event and the document as very important and resourceful, urging every Sierra Leonean to make good use of the Report.

President Koroma maintained that the Ebola spilled over the country through Guinea when Sierra Leoneans were less prepared for it, creating a situation that enable the country move forward as a result of lessons learned.

He reiterated that the nation knew nothing about Ebola but was very fast to learn about the disease and apply unique corrective measures to combat it. This move, he said ‘’clearly indicates that there is something in us we have to develop, as it was demonstrated in the fight against Ebola’’.

President Koroma entreated community members to accept and champion issues affecting their communities rather than relying on outsiders.

‘’We succeeded in the Ebola fight because communities took ownership, they accepted it as a challenge and they also took innovative actions that saved us at the end of the day,’’ he said, adding that all of these actions acknowledged shared responsibilities and support from stakeholders.

He said his government imposed stringent measures that were necessary to curb the disease, thereby putting customs and traditions to test.

He noted that the Lessons Learnt Report was commissioned because they wanted to know how it all happened, noting that there are lots of rooms for improvement in certain areas especially collaboration amongst partners at the national and districts levels.

He hoped the collaboration, shared responsibilities, and actions manifested during the fight against Ebola would continue.

‘If we succeeded in defeating Ebola, there are no other development challenges we cannot defeat,’ he maintained.

President Koroma furthered that they still have the problems of getting back to business, as it would be a disappointment to him if they allow themselves to reverse again the gains they have made in the Ebola fight, encouraging ministers not to work in isolation but to collaborate with other ministries to sustain the progress made in the Ebola fight.

He cautioned Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and donor partners that in work on their own, pointing out that government’s activities means working as a team to achieve the desired goal.

‘’There has to be collaboration, alignment, transparency and accountability to the people,’’ opined President Koroma.

The National Ebola Response Center (NERC) Chief Executive Officer Rtd Major Paolo Conteh in his statement recalled that 18 months ago the country was confronted with the deadly Ebola Virus Disease and after initial stumbles they had to run fast and learned their Lessons very fast.

The information, he said brought them knowledge of command and control and coordination in the fight.

The Chief Executive Officer explained that they saw improvement in many of the technical areas, such as treatment facilities, laboratories, surveillance, case management and logistics, adding that psycho-social support brought empathy and understanding to the response.

Their innovations, he told his audience responded to human needs and suffering as it was difficult if not impossible to achieve lasting solution to their problems by becoming full ownership of mobilizing communities.

He furthered that they were at their best in fighting the Ebola when they worked with the existing community leadership structures and Paramount chiefs, including youth leaders, women, traditional and religious leaders.

AS/JAK/MOHS/SLENA

Sierra Leone: DFID Hands over Moyamba Ebola Treatment Centre Site to Health Ministry

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Source: Government of Sierra Leone
Country: Sierra Leone, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Freetown, Dec. 22, 2015 (MOHS) – DFID Ebola Team Leader, Lee Ferguson has handed over the 100 Beds Moyamba Ebola Treatment Centre site manned by Medicos Del Mundo to the Moyamba District Health Management Team at a ceremony held at Kayamba Chiefdom, Moyamba district.

Handing over the facility, DFID Team Leader, Lee Ferguson commended the people of Moyamba for the warm reception accorded them during their stay in the district.

Lee Ferguson told his audience that the donated assets and consumables on the site are of significant value to the community, and the District Health Management Team for ownership.

Deputizing Paramount Chief Foday Gulama of Kayamba chiefdom, the Chiefdom Speaker, Chief Adu Mboyawa expressed thanks and appreciation to DFID for the wonderful gift, adding that the people of Moyamba district would always remember them as a friend.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Moyamba District Council, Prof. Bob Kandeh commended DFID stating that it is an indication for the Ministry and government to build on the existing structure for sustainability.

Receiving on behalf of the government, the Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Foday Sawi Lahai described the event as a great day for the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and expressed thanks to DFID and the community for the gesture.

He recalled when he visited the Primary Health Care facility in Moyamba and noticed that it was totally small and congested, adding that with this site it would help them to do effective and efficient health care delivery system for the people of Moyamba.

Mr. Sawi Lahai informed his audience that as a ministry they are committed in ensuring that they improve on health care delivery service for all in the country. He added that one such friend in supporting the Ministry is DFID who has been part of the Early Recovery plan and also part of the Health System Strengthening.

Other speakers includes the Director of Primary Health Care, Dr. Joseph Kandeh and the District Medical Officer, Moyamba, Dr. Alfredo Mousa.

Signing of the Handing over Document and a conducted tour of the facility formed high point of ceremony.

KK/MOHS/SLENA

Sierra Leone: A look back at Ebola

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Source: IRIN
Country: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone

By Jennifer Lazuta

DAKAR, 28 December 2015 (IRIN) - The past year has been a roller coaster ride for West Africa, with Ebola coming and going and coming and going, and then coming once again. But now, after nearly two years battling the deadly virus, the region finally seems to be Ebola-free. None of the three countries most affected – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – has had an active case since mid-November.

Read the full article on IRIN

Kenya: Kenya: New arrival Registration Trends 2015 (as of 28 Dec 2015)

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Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Country: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Zimbabwe

Sierra Leone: UNICEF Sierra Leone Ebola Situation Report, 23 December 2015

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: Sierra Leone

HIGHLIGHTS

  • On 18 December 2015, Sierra Leone observed the day of Recognition of Ebola workers. The day was celebrated as a national holiday. A ceremony, hosted by H.E. President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, was held to mark the event and attended by UNICEF, international partners, the diplomatic community and local representatives. UNICEF Sierra Leone was awarded a gold medal for services rendered during the Ebola response.

  • UNICEF implementing partners FHM, CEDA and RODA decommissioned 11 Community care Centres (CCCs) during the reporting period; five in Kambia, four in Tonkolili and two in Kono. The six remaining CCCs will be handed over to the District Health Management Team (DHMT) for repurposing (three in Bombali and three in Kambia).

  • The implementation of Project Shield is ongoing. The review of the registration of Ebola survivors and mapping of health services in the pilot districts continued in the reporting period. In Bombali, the counselling of survivors continued and in Port Loko, the third phase of the project was launched with awareness raising and safe sex education campaigns led by the District Medical Health Teams and the HIV/AIDS department.

SITUATION IN NUMBERS

As of 23 December 2015

8,704 Confirmed cases of Ebola

3,589 Confirmed deaths from Ebola

1,459 Confirmed cases of infected children under age 18 registered by MSWGCA

8,624 Registered children who lost one or both parents due to Ebola

UNICEF funding needs to December 2015: USD 160 million

UNICEF funding gap: USD 34.9 million3 (22%)


Guinea: Fin de la transmission de la maladie à virus Ebola en Guinée

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Source: World Health Organization
Country: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone

29 décembre 2015 | Genève - L’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) déclare aujourd’hui la fin de la transmission de la maladie à virus Ebola en République de Guinée. Quarante-deux jours se sont écoulés depuis que le dernier cas confirmé a donné un deuxième test négatif. La Guinée entre maintenant dans une période de surveillance renforcée de 90 jours afin de pouvoir identifier rapidement tout cas nouveau et empêcher ainsi la propagation du virus.

«L’OMS félicite le gouvernement et le peuple guinéens pour être parvenus à arrêter l’épidémie de maladie à virus Ebola dans leur pays, ce qui est un accomplissement majeur. Nous devons leur rendre hommage pour avoir su faire preuve, dans l’adversité, d’un leadership extraordinaire pour combattre l’épidémie», déclare le Dr Mohamed Belhocine, Représentant de l’OMS en Guinée. «L’OMS et ses partenaires continueront de soutenir la Guinée au cours des 90 prochains jours de surveillance renforcée et dans ses premiers efforts pour relancer et renforcer les services de santé essentiels tout au long de l’année 2016.»

Une étape importante dans l’épidémie de maladie à virus Ebola

La fin de la transmission en Guinée marque une étape importante dans la flambée de maladie à virus Ebola en Afrique de l’Ouest. La chaîne de transmission d’origine a débuté à Guéckédou (Guinée) fin décembre 2013, il y a deux ans. Elle a entraîné une flambée épidémique qui s’est propagée au Libéria et en Sierra Leone, deux pays voisins, puis dans sept autres pays, par voie terrestre ou aérienne.

«Pour la première fois, les 3 pays affectés – la Guinée, le Libéria et la Sierra Leone – ont arrêté les chaînes de transmission à l’origine de cette épidémie dévastatrice il y a deux ans», déclare le Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Directeur régional pour l’Afrique. «Je félicite les gouvernements, les communautés et les partenaires pour leur détermination à combattre l’épidémie pour franchir cette étape majeure. Tout en travaillant à bâtir des systèmes de santé résilients, nous devons rester vigilants afin d’interrompre rapidement toute résurgence éventuelle en 2016.»

En plus de la chaîne de transmission d’origine, 10 nouvelles petites flambées de maladie à virus Ebola, ou «résurgences», sont survenues de mars à novembre 2015. Elles semblent dues à la résurgence d’un virus persistant au sein de la population survivante.

Il arrive notamment que, chez certains survivants de sexe masculin, le virus reste présent dans le liquide séminal pendant 9 à 12 mois après rétablissement du sujet et disparition du virus du système sanguin.

L’OMS et ses partenaires travaillent avec les Gouvernements du Libéria, de la Sierra Leone et de la Guinée pour que les survivants aient accès aux soins médicaux et psychosociaux, au dépistage du virus persistant et à des services de conseil et d’éducation afin de les aider à réintégrer la vie familiale et communautaire, de réduire la stigmatisation et de diminuer le risque de transmission du virus Ebola.

Soutien en Guinée, au Libéria et en Sierra Leone

«Les mois à venir seront absolument critiques», déclare le Dr Bruce Aylward, Représentant spécial du Directeur général pour la riposte à Ebola, OMS. «Pendant cette période, les pays doivent être pleinement préparés à prévenir et détecter tout nouveau cas et à intervenir en conséquence.»

«La persistance temporellement limitée du virus chez les survivants pourrait entraîner de nouvelles résurgences en 2016. Il est donc impératif que les partenaires continuent de soutenir ces pays.

Parallèlement, les trois pays les plus touchés mettront en œuvre un programme de relèvement mobilisant l’ensemble du secteur de la santé en vue de relancer et renforcer les principaux programmes de santé publique, en particulier en faveur de la santé de la mère et de l’enfant, tout en maintenant leur capacité à détecter et à prévenir toute résurgence de maladie à virus Ebola, et à intervenir en conséquence.

Pour plus d'informations, veuillez prendre contact avec:

Gregory Härtl
Coordinateur communication, OMS
Téléphone: +41 22 791 4458
Portable: +41 79 203 6715
Courriel: hartlg@who.int

Tarik Jašarević
Chargé de communication, OMS
Téléphone: +41 22 791 5099
Portable: +41 793 676 214
Courriel: jasarevict@who.int

Guinea: End of Ebola transmission in Guinea

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Source: World Health Organization
Country: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone

GENEVA ¦ 29 December 2015 -- Today the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the end of Ebola virus transmission in the Republic of Guinea. Forty-two days have passed since the last person confirmed to have Ebola virus disease tested negative for the second time. Guinea now enters a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to ensure that any new cases are identified quickly before they can spread to other people.

“WHO commends the Government of Guinea and its people on the significant achievement of ending its Ebola outbreak. We must render homage to the Government and people of Guinea who, in adversity, have shown extraordinary leadership in fighting the epidemic,” says Dr Mohamed Belhocine, WHO Representative in Guinea. “WHO and its partners will continue to support Guinea during the next 90 days of heightened surveillance and in its early efforts to restart and strengthen essential health services throughout 2016.”

A milestone for the Ebola outbreak

The end of Ebola transmission in Guinea marks an important milestone in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The original chain of transmission started two years ago in Gueckedou, Guinea in late December 2013 and drove the outbreak which spread to neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone and, ultimately, by land and air travel to seven other countries.

“This is the first time that all three countries – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – have stopped the original chains of transmission that were responsible for starting this devastating outbreak two years ago,” says Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “I commend the governments, communities and partners for their determination in confronting this epidemic to get to this milestone. As we work towards building resilient health care systems, we need to stay vigilant to ensure that we rapidly stop any new flares that may come up in 2016.”

In addition to the original chain of transmission, there have been 10 new small Ebola outbreaks (or ‘flares’) between March and November 2015. These appear to have been due to the re-emergence of a persistent virus from the survivor population.

Among the challenges survivors have faced is that after recovering from Ebola virus disease and clearing the virus from their bloodstream, the virus may persist in the semen of some male survivors for as long as 9-12 months.

WHO and its partners are working with the Governments of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to help ensure that survivors have access to medical and psychosocial care, screening for persistent virus, as well as counselling and education to help them reintegrate into family and community life, reduce stigma and minimize the risk of Ebola virus transmission.

Sustained support to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone

“The coming months will be absolutely critical,” says Dr Bruce Aylward, Special Representative of the Director-General for the Ebola Response, WHO. “This is the period when the countries need to be sure that they are fully prepared to prevent, detect and respond to any new cases.

“The time-limited persistence of virus in survivors which may give rise to new Ebola flares in 2016 makes it imperative that partners continue to support these countries. WHO will maintain surveillance and outbreak response teams in the three countries through 2016.”

At the same time, 2016 will see the three most-affected countries implementing a full health sector recovery agenda to restart and strengthen key public health programmes, especially maternal and child health, while continuing to maintain the capacity to detect, prevent and respond to any flare-up of Ebola.

Media inquiries:
Gregory Härtl,
Communications Officer, WHO Phone: +41 22 791 44 58 Mobile: +41 79 203 67 15 Email: hartlg@who.int

Tarik Jašarević Communications Officer, WHO Mobile: +41 793 676 214 Tel: +41 22 791 5099 Email: jasarevict@who.int

World: Syria to South Sudan: aid groups list their top humanitarian concerns for 2016

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Source: AlertNet
Country: Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Iraq, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, World, Yemen

Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation - Mon, 28 Dec 2015 00:01 GMT

Author: Tom Esslemont

LONDON, Dec 28 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - There's one prediction for 2016 that most aid workers can make with confidence - that the new year will usher in rising humanitarian needs.

Read the full article here

Sierra Leone: Retour sur l’épidémie d’Ebola

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Source: IRIN
Country: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone

Dakar, 29 décembre 2015 (IRIN) - L’Afrique de l’Ouest a connu une année 2015 en dents de scie, avec l’apparition, la disparition et le retour d’Ebola. Mais aujourd’hui, après deux années de lutte contre le virus mortel, la région semble enfin être exempte d’Ebola. Aucun des trois pays les plus touchés – la Guinée, le Liberia et la Sierra Leone – n’a connu de cas actif depuis la mi-novembre.

Lire l'article sur IRIN

Nigeria: Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa (S/2015/1012)

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Source: UN Security Council
Country: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

I. Introduction

  1. In a letter dated 23 December 2013 (S/2013/759), the President of the Security Council informed me of the Council’s concurrence with my recommendation that the mandate of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) be extended until 31 December 2016, and requested that I report to the Council every six months on the implementation of the mandate.

  2. The present report covers the period from 1 July to 31 December 2015. It provides an overview of developments and trends in West Africa and outlines the activities undertaken by UNOWA in the areas of good offices, the enhancement of subregional capacities to address cross-border and cross-cutting threats to peace and security, and the promotion of good governance, respect for the rule of law and human rights and gender mainstreaming. It also outlines the engagement by UNOWA with regional and subregional organizations, in particular the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Mano River Union, in order to promote peace and stability in West Africa.

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