WHO regional head tours Ebola infected countries

Dr Luis Sambo, WHO regional director for Africa

The World Health Organization`s (WHO) regional director for Africa, Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo, has called on governments of the three Ebola infected West African countries to increase community participation in the fight against the disease.

Dr Sambo, who was in Freetown on Wednesday, was on a tour of the region “to get more insight, review current outbreak response and challenges, and explore the best ways to rapidly contain the EVD (Ebola virus disease) outbreak in West Africa,” his office said.

The meetings also offered opportunity for the UN health agency to pressure the governments on the follow up to the recently concluded Accra summit on Ebola, which emphasizes on greater community involvement in the response strategies.

WHO notably wants governments to implement national strategic plans which highlight the need for greater community level participations.

Dr Sambo held meetings with President Ernest Bai Koroma, the Inter-ministerial Taskforce on Ebola, the UN Country Team, as well as development partners.

Engagement of communities for behaviour change at household level was crucial to stopping the emergence of new cases of infection, he said, expressing concerns on the high number of health workers that have been infected while caring for patients.

The Sierra Leone leg of the tour coincided with one of the worst moment for the country, as cases continue to grow and spread wider across.

Sierra Leone confirmed its first case of the Ebola disease on May 25. As of 24^th July, it has recorded a total of 435 confirmed cases and 146 deaths, across seven districts. Going by WHO calculations, these numbers are even higher.

The capital Freetown has lately been of increasing concern with reports of several cases of deaths now associated with both confirmed and suspected Ebola virus.

On Thursday, a chaotic scene ensued when relatives of a suspected Ebola patient stormed a Freetown hospital, snatching the patient and carted away after overwhelming security.

They wielded knives, machetes and other dangerous weapons, state broadcaster SLBC reported. It added that Kinghaman Hospital, where the incident occurred, was for the whole of the rest of the day closed to the public so as to disinfect it.

Air France`s abrupt cancelation of its flight out of Freetown Wednesday prompted suggestions of Ebola scare in the aviation sector. But the Sierra Leone Airport Authority insisted that had to do with “operational issues.”

 

At a press briefing Thursday afternoon, government spokesman Abdulie Bayraytay warned of an imminent “drastic” announcement in response to the escalating situation. He said no one should be surprised when this happens.

Dr Sambo`s arrival in Freetown also coincided with strike actions by health workers which has paralyzed work at the main government hospital in Kenema. Almost the entire center is reported to have been emptied as patients with other ailments have abandoned the place in fear of contracting the Ebola.

The aggrieved nurses want the Ebola isolation ward in Kenema Town relocated to an isolated place and for medical charity, MSF, to take charge of it. They also complained about inadequate protective gear, which they’ve blamed on the growing infection and deaths of health of their colleagues.

The WHO regional director called on the government to work on motivating the staff and ensured more health workers were deployed at treatment centres.

There have been concerns that longer hours of exposure of nurses to patients, because of limited available staff, may be putting the health workers at risk of infection.

Over 40 health workers have died of the disease since May in the eastern region epicenter of the outbreak alone, the pro-government tabloid Awareness Times cited a health workers union official claiming.

President Koroma expressed concern about the situation and called for greater involvement by WHO and partners. Training and provision of protective equipment are at the top of his priorities.

“This is a very tough moment for all of us in Sierra Leone,” the President told the visiting WHO chief.