Posted by Jon Bounds Web Editor
At Oxfam we are kept well informed about all of the emergencies that we are responding to as an organisation - it's crucial to our jobs that we understand what Oxfam is doing. This is the factsheet that was distributed this morning - it gives a very clear picture of the Ebola Crisis in West Africa and Oxfam's response. I hope you find it as informative as I do.
Ebola crisis
November 2014
Ebola transmission continues to be widespread, particularly in capital cities. According to the World Health Organization the weekly incidence appears to be stable in Guinea, rapidly rising in Sierra Leone and declining in Liberia. The exact number of cases is unclear because of persistent under reporting. The international response still needs further scaling up to contain and end the epidemic. Oxfam is raising awareness in communities about how to prevent the spread of the disease and the importance of identifying and isolating Ebola cases. We are also supporting the running of medical facilities.
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Programme Activities
Oxfam's programme focuses on improving the facilities and equipment of health care organisations and ensuring that the most vulnerable communities and households have the knowledge and materials they need to halt the spread of the disease. This has included the following activities to date:
Sierra Leone
4759 Ebola cases, 287,000 reached
- Installed or improved water and sanitation in 5 health facilities.
- Provided medical equipment to 19 health facilities (eg. gloves, aprons, buckets, soap, chlorine, mops, hand sanitiser).
- Provided personal protective equipment for burial teams, and contact tracing workers in Freetown and Koinadugu.
- Set up 108 hand washing stations.
- Helped train 610 Community Health Workers who in turn have reached 287,003 people with door to door messaging about Ebola.
- Broadcast radio jingles with messages on early referral and treatment in four languages.
- Distributed 1000 educational posters. Promoted Ebola prevention and awareness messages on a TV break and promoted a song about Ebola.
Liberia
6525 Ebola cases, 151, 400 reached
- Provided water and sanitation equipment to two medical facilities in Monrovia.
- Provided equipment and funds for the training of 454 community health volunteers and 2**8 supervisors**, who in turn have reached out to 151,400 people. These people are delivering door to door messaging around how to stay safe and free from Ebola, and what to do if a family or community member contracts the disease.
- Provided 7700 hygiene kits to households.
- Developed radio jingles and and a drama about the signs and symptoms of Ebola which are being broadcast via radio for four days nationwide.
Senegal, Gambia and Guinea Bissau
(*Activities planned over the coming weeks)*
Senegal :1 Ebola case successfully isolated
Guinea Bissau: 0 Ebola cases
Gambia : 0 Ebola cases
- Working through partners-including government and regional health authorities - we aim to reach directly 25,600 people and 84 villages in Guinea Bissau. In Senegal, we will target 600 women's groups in Kolda, Kedougou, reaching up to 15,000 women with sensitization and hygiene promotion.
- In Gambia, we will carry out awareness raising and community surveillance in 60 villages with a population of 8,000 people in two regions.
Mali
1 Ebola case, Oxfam in Mali reviewing
- Coordination is on-going with state actors, UN agencies, INGOs and local NGOs. Oxfam will prioritise the regions of Kayes, Koulikoro, Sikasso and Gao for Ebola interventions as we have an existing presence there.
- Oxfam is already working with a selected number of public schools in the regions of Koulikoro and Kayes thanks to other programmes, and is considering supporting them with additional hygiene kits.