Summary
IFRC’s Ebola strategic framework is organised around 5 outcomes:
The epidemic is stopped
National Societies have better Ebola preparedness and stronger long term capacities
IFRC operations are well coordinated
Safe and Dignified Burials (SDB) are effectively carried out by all actors
Recovery of community life and livelihoods Six emergency appeals were launched to combat Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal, while providing coordination and technical support at the regional and global level.
In helping stop the epidemic, the appeal operations employ a 5 pillar approach comprising: (1) Beneficiary Communication and Social Mobilization; (2) Contact Tracing and Surveillance; (3) Psychosocial Support; (4) Case Management; and (5) Safe and Dignified Burials (SDB) and Disinfection.
Smaller preparedness and response operations were financed by the IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) in Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Togo, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Gambia, Kenya, Guinea Bissau and Ethiopia. In total, 16 countries in Africa have launched emergency operations relating to this outbreak.2
Many of the regions in the three most affected countries are now starting to see a slowdown in the rate of transmission, and Liberia has only had one confirmed case during the previous six weeks. There are still serious concerns about the number of cases emanating from unknown contacts in Guinea, and many Ebola-related deaths continue to be confirmed post-mortem. On a positive note, the World Health Organisation has reported that each country now has enough treatment beds to be able to isolate and treat patients with Ebola, and the capacity to safely bury everyone known to have died of the disease.
In Guinea, the President has declared a health emergency in Lower Guinea, in response to the high number of cases that continue to present in the region. In this reporting period, Guinea has seen 56 new cases and 37 Ebola-related deaths. This represents a significant drop-off from the previous reporting period, and is much lower than any reporting period since the middle of 2014. The epidemic continues to be concentrated in Conakry and surrounding prefectures in Lower Guinea, particularly in Forécariah. The IFRC and GRC have been reinforcing teams in Lower Guinea to increase the response capacity in the region. Additionally, plans are underway to significantly scale up GRC and IFRC activities in communitybased surveillance and contact tracing. These activities are most needed in this phase of the epidemic, where cases and deaths are down, but many new cases are coming from unknown chains of transmission.
IFRC and GRC teams are making contingency plans for the 2015 rainy season, which will begin in June. In addition to the logistical challenges that the rainy season will present, humanitarian actors are anticipating secondary epidemics of other diseases.
Incidents of resistance have declined, and GRC and IFRC teams reported only one security incident in Conakry during the reporting period. Planning and preparations are underway for the presidential campaign in advance of the election in November 2015, and political demonstrations have begun occurring in Conakry. Following a day of “Ghost Town” in Conakry, organized on 2 April, the opposition is calling for further peaceful protests in the coming weeks. These demonstrations have historically started off peaceful but can degenerate quickly into violence.
As of 13 April 2015, no new confirmed cases have been reported in Liberia for 24 days. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health, the Red Cross as well as other partners continue to be vigilant and ensure the communities practice preventative behaviours.
More counties have reported measles outbreaks, and to date a total of five counties have reported confirmed and suspected measles cases in children under five years. This number is expected to grow. LNRCS/IFRC has committed to support social mobilization activities to encourage communities to participate in the national immunization campaign.
Five districts in Sierra Leone have had new confirmed Ebola cases in the last 21 days, including Bombali, Kambia, Port Loko, Western Area Urban, and Western Area Rural.
Schools are scheduled to reopen on 14 April, and it is expected that 1.8 million students will return to their studies. The Red Cross is actively involved in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training for teachers and the distribution of hygiene and school preparation kits to support schools opening in a safe manner.