Highlights
As of 11 January, the cumulative number of confirmed, probable and suspected cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Sierra Leone is estimated to have reached 10,124 with a total of 2,696 confirmed deaths.
• Pujehun district in Sierra Leone has been declared Ebola-free, the first to be given the all-clear after 42 days with zero recorded cases of the virus, according to the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL). Pujehun, in the south-east of the country, was hit by Ebola in August and suffered 24 deaths from 31 cases.
• An agreed operational plan to implement improved cross-border strategies was held among high-level officials on 7 January.
• UNMEER and the National Ebola Response Center (NERC) are actively involved with the partners and the pillars to finalize the district-to-district planning.
• The U.K. has established an ambulance and decontamination-cleaning site in the Western District, in addition to providing 12 vehicles to decontaminate affected houses.
• Treatment bed capacity in Ebola Treatment Centers (ETCs) and Community Care Centers (CCCs) are currently sufficient, however maintaining readiness for rapid response is crucial.
• UNFPA and WHO national and district staff developed a strategy to strengthen collaboration in surveillance, using their comparative advantages. WHO will take the technical lead in aspects of capacity building and monitoring; while UNFPA will manage equipping and incentivizing the contact tracing teams.
• A recent survey of frontline health workers and the general public, funded by the UK and conducted by Ground Truth Solutions reveal that stigmatization is a discouraging factor at treatment centers, and that lack of access to food is undermining quarantine efforts. 61% said they would support Ebola survivors returning to their communities, while 71% believe there is progress being made in the response effort.
• Approximately 95% of reported deaths are buried safely within 24 hours of reporting. The majority of the remaining 5% are the result of late reports (after 5pm). When this occurs the Sierra Leone Police are required to secure the location of the reported body and a burial team is dispatched immediately the next morning. The most recent available Red Cross data indicates that Red Cross teams are responding to alerts within an average of 4.2 hours.