Situation
OVERVIEW
•The outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease continues to produce more confirmed cases. The tri-border area remains the most active one, although new cases are also being reported from Conakry and Monrovia.
•The overall situation remains extremely worrying, as containment measures have not yet controlled the outbreak. Furthermore, in Gueckedou (Guinea) and Kailahun (Sierra Leone) regions, many villages refuse to cooperate and they hide positive cases. This results in many unreported deaths and increases the risk of the virus spreading.
•Guinea remains the main affected country. Over the past two weeks, the new cases rate stands at approximately 2.6 per day. In the area of Gueckedou, the main hotspot of the epidemic, affected communities have reportedly reacted violently against medical staff of Médecins Sans Frontières.
•In Liberia, new cases have increased sharply over the past two weeks, while in Sierra Leone the average is more than 8 new cases per day.
•As of beginning of July, the average Case Fatality Rate in Guinea and Liberia is calculated to be approximately 64%-65%. The figure takes into account only confirmed cases and deaths since the beginning of the outbreak. However, the rate varies significantly according to location, treatment timing and quality.
RESPONSE
•An emergency regional meeting with 12 West African Ministers of Health, Ebola and public health specialists has been taking place in Accra for 2 and 3 July, under a World Health Organisation initiative. The EU/ECHO is present and will press for a functional regional response strategy, integrated needs identification and a funding requirement plan. Sources: ECHO, WHO, Local Ministries of Health