Ebola Continues to Spread in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone
Alexandra Thomsen
Healthmap.or
Jun 16, 2014
The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, which was first identified in March 2014 in Guinea, continues to spread in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. According to a June 13 UNICEF report, the case count in Liberia is 28 with 16 deaths.
WHO/AFRO (the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa) reports 351 cases in Guinea, including 226 deaths, as of June 5. However, the national committee for management of the disease disputes the WHO death count and the Guinean Minister of Health, Remy Lamah, reports 236 confirmed cases including 144 deaths as of June 13.
In Sierra Leone, the number of deaths has risen to 19. According to NBC News, Sierra Leone’s ministry of health reports a total of 95 cases. On June 11, Sierra Leone shut its borders to trade with Guinea and Liberia and closed schools, cinemas, and nightclubs in a vulnerable region to prevent spread of the virus. Community resistance in outbreak areas in Sierra Leone is impeding the follow-up of contacts, a vital tool for monitoring and controlling the spread of the disease. Education in outbreak regions and other vulnerable areas on disease transmission and symptoms is vital to slowing its spread.
WHO and partners have sent 6 experts and 5,000 sets of personal protective equipment to Sierra Leone. On June 3, WHO organized a collaborative meeting between Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The affected nations have agreed to enhance cross-border surveillance and address community resistance. Other West African nations, including The Gambia, have heightened national surveillance and adopted preventive and response measures to take in case the virus reaches their borders.
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