HIGHLIGHTS
· As of 19 January 2015, the cumulative number of laboratory confirmed Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases is 7,923. The number of confirmed deaths is 2,788.
· Geeta Rao Gupta, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director visited Sierra Leone to discuss UNICEF’s continuing partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone to eradicate Ebola, as well as long-term plans to ensure the fulfilment of children’s rights in the country.
· Since 17 November, UNICEF-supported CCCs have triaged 1,541 patients and admitted 237 patients across 5 districts. The number of patients triaged at UNICEF-supported CCCs has increased by more than 50% since early December.
· The cumulative number of children documented by UNICEF through the Family Tracing and Reunification (FTR) network is 15,623 of which 8019 children have lost one or both parents and 565 are unaccompanied or separated.
· UNICEF supported the Hotspot Busters project. Health For All Coalition (HFAC) social mobilizers covered 82 hotspot communities nationwide during the week 12-18 January, reaching 81,622 households through door to door community sensitization.
· In order to ensure that health personnel has confidence and skills to deliver routine health and EPI services to under-five children in the context of Ebola, UNICEF continued to support the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) and District Health Management Teams (DHMTs) to conduct the training of health personnel. During this week, 1016 staff working in 508 PHUs were trained in 5 districts (48% of the targeted PHU staff).
· Seventh Round of distribution of Ebola supplies to ETU/EHUs/District Medical Stores has been completed.
· UNICEF Sierra Leone requires USD 178 million for its response to the Ebola crisis until end of June 2015. To date, USD 115,5 million has been received – 65 percent of the total.