Highlights
As part of the Mano River Union Declaration of zero infections by 16 April, UNMEER is supporting the government’s plan to get to a resilient zero within 60 days as committed by the head of state. The NERC plan has been approved by the cabinet and comprises a three pronged approach: Critical Interventions, EVD Event Management and National Campaigns.
To support the government’s plan in “Getting to a Resilient ZERO”, and to further provide operational assistance to other front line responders’, UNMEER has recently earmarked and donated 44 vehicles to the NERC, 10 to the African Union (AU), 6 to International Medical Corps (IMC), 7 to Partners In Health (PIH) 3 to SNAP/USDAID, 3 to eHealth and 8 to GOAL.
In support of the Yellow Ribbon Campaign led by Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), UNMEER and NERC staff were engaged in community dialogues, focusing on key messages around Safe and Dignified Burials, early reporting, sustaining preventive behaviors and preventing complacency at the community level, especially at the NERC.
In preparation of the raining season, UNMEER is supporting the NERC with over US$ 2.3 million to carry out surges in districts while focusing on enabling activities such as case investigation and contact tracing (especially in riverine areas); active case searching; implementation of Community Events Based Surveillance; border health screening; local healer support and alert program.
In line with preparations for the safe reopening of schools, the closure of select Ebola Care Centers (ECC) including Community Care Centers (CCCs) on or near school premises have started under the leadership of the NERC with MoHS and other partners. In each district, the District Health Management Team (DHMT), in collaboration with the District Ebola Response Centre (DERC) Social Mobilization pillar, is in discussions with the community, in order to ensure that they are fully engaged in the process, just as they were when the CCCs were first constructed.
As part of UNMEER’s support to the government and its current capacity to break the transmission chain, contain and control the spread of the EVD in the districts, 27 Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) have been approved totaling USD 624,167. These QIPs are being implemented in 12 of the 13 districts of Sierra Leone.
UNMEER Information Management Team is supporting the MoHS in the training and use of mobile data collection. The first training was conducted at the NERC and subsequent training will happen in Freetown and at selected districts.
The CDC Ebola vaccine prevention protocol has received regulatory approval with a planned start date of 31 March 2015. The installation of power apparatus to support the cold chain has been approved and can now commence. Johnson & Johnson will be in country from 16 March to review potential sites, plans and infrastructure for the London School vaccine trial.
As effort to support the cross-border surveillance initiative by the Kambia DERC along the border with Forecariah, Guinea, UNMEER provided operational support by facilitating the donation of tents, generator, motorbike, fans and thermometers.