Ebola update or today Monday September 8, 2014

EBOLA OUTBREAK UPDATES—September 8, 2014

DISCHARGED CASES

Total Survived and Released Patients = 271

NEW CASES

New Confirmed cases = 11, as follows:

Kailahun = 0 Kenema = 6, Kono = 0

Bombali = 0, Kambia = 0 Koinadugu = 0, Port Loko = 0, Tonkolili = 0

Bo = 1, Bonthe = 0, Moyamba = 0, Pujehun = 2

Western Area Urban = 2, Western Area Rural = 0

CUMULATIVE CASES

Cumulative confirmed deaths = 428

Cumulative confirmed cases = 1,287, as follows:

Kailahun = 504, Kenema = 384, Kono =12

Bombali =67, Kambia =1, Koinadugu =0, Port Loko =98, Tonkolili = 21

Bo = 65, Bonthe = 1, Moyamba = 13, Pujehun = 10

Western Urban = 71, Western Rural = 40

Probable cases = 37
Probable deaths = 37
Suspected cases = 100
Suspected deaths = 11
IMPORTANT NOTE!

Koinadugu still remains the only district that has not registered confirmed cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone

IMPORTANT NOTE

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has engaged the media houses in Sierra Leone to clarify three day “House to House” sensitization of families in the entire country through the social mobilization pillar.

The campaign, according to the EOC Operations Coordinator, Mr. Steve Gaojia will comprise trained teams of health workers, community volunteers and NGO/CBO/CSO partners that will move from house to house to disseminate information on Ebola Virus Disease and enlist family/community support and participation to the response.

The campaign will kick off on the 18^th September with a Presidential speech to the nation providing an overview of the Ebola situation and government response and to officially declare ‘sit at home’ days from the 19^th to 21^st of September, 2014 for family reflection, prayers and education while families will be visited by campaign teams.

The campaign has the following five objectives:

To reach 100% of households with correct information on Ebola

To increase community acceptance of Ebola affected persons especially children

To promote hand washing with soap at household level, for which one million five hundred thousand bars of soap will be distributed to households

To rebuild public confidence and trust in the health system

To install neighborhood watch structures at community level

Teams of three persons will visit households and engage families through a six step approach of Inspire (‘apologize’), Listen; Acknowledge; Empathize; Inform; and call to action at household level.

More Specifically the teams will:

Find out families knowledge and concerns on Ebola and provide correct information

Answer questions from family members on Ebola to dispel rumors

Explain what to do when a family member is sick during the Ebola outbreak and the need to report early to Health Facilities

Promote hand washing with soap

Paste and distribute Information Communication and Education (IEC) material

The following measures have been put in place to address the likely increase in demand for services as a result of this sensitization exercise:

Expansion of Holding Centers

Increased logistics support (vehicles and ambulances)

Increased supplies of PPEs to health facilities (both complete and light (gloves/masks) protective equipment)

Training and re-orientation of health workers

A team of neighborhood watch community members, mainly youths will be installed to continue support response issues in their communities even after the exercise.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Ebola Emergency Account Details:

Account Number (Leones): 003001118285030109

Account Number (USD): 003001014138030145

The Ebola Emergency Account is audited by Chartered Accountants from the KPMG Accounting and Auditing Firm at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)

All Cash Donations are deposited at the Ebola Emergency Account managed by the EOC, and kind donations (Medicines, Equipment, Supplies, etc.) are held at the Government Medical logistics stores, Freetown, by the Ebola Logistics team, for processing, storage and equitable distribution as required throughout the country.