Post-ebola plans as
arms to battle future emergency diseases-Sierraleone
By Justine Wangui (Science
Africa correspondent)
Email:
justinewagui@gmail.com
Since May 2014, Sierra
Leone has been hit hard by the deadly Ebola epidemic which has claimed over
2000 lives up to date. In an online press conference held by Sierra Leone on 10th
of February, the National Publicity and Outreach Coordinator in the Office of
the Government Spokesman of Sierra Leone said that the government of Sierra
Leone has put up strategies based on promoting regional collaboration as a way
of creating joint- alertness with its neighboring countries, Guinea and Liberia
which were as well hit by the disease. This is one of the post- Ebola plans
that are acting as weapons to fight off future emergency diseases.
“We are doing this as a
nation. We must collaborate with our neighbors that are particularly hit by the
Ebola virus that is Guinea and Liberia.
This will induce responsibility in each of these three countries to
respond to any outbreak in future, of which we don’t hope for,” says Abdulai. “I must say that the fight against Ebola
continues even though for the months of December 2014 up to February 2015 we are having fluctuating cases in the
number of confirmed cases of infections.
There will be minimal or no future complains if the three Ebola-stricken
countries prepare themselves in readiness to fight any future disease that may emerge.”
The ministries of
Health and sanitation in the three countries will be fully involved in the
collaboration. His Excellency, the president
of Sierra Leone, Ernest
Bai Koroma has instructed the Ministry of Water Resources to
decontaminate the school rooms that were used as treatment centers. He has also triggered social mobilization with
neighboring countries. On 10th of
February 2015 he travelled to Guinea on with an aim of strengthening the social
ties between the two states. He has as well encouraged the paramount chiefs to
implement by-laws in which the citizens’ failure to abide by them will be
followed by prosecution. Some of these laws will focus on unauthorized citizens
and illegal trade.
The fading away of the
Ebola attack has created confidence in the government as well as in the citizens.
In fact, the country is planning to re-open all schools from 30th March 2015, right
from the University level to Kindergarten. Abdulai made it clear that local and
International experts have assured Sierra Leone that they have adequate
capacity of Ebola care and communication centers. “The World Health Organization and United
Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund advised the government that the
strategies and capacity to handle any eventualities are adequate.”
Sierra Leone can now
pride itself of conquering some Ebola cases on their own despite the fact that
a number doctors and nurses have lost their lives while treating patients. “We have treatment centers which are all run
by Sierra Leone doctors and clinicians, which have been able to treat
approximately 2000 survivors,” said Abdulai. “We have over 10 Ebola treatment
centers and laboratories which will continue being used as permanent centers
for disease control.”
The Ministry of Social
Welfare for Gender and Children Affairs and UNICEF are on the lead in social
mobilization. They will train teachers on psyco- social education so that they
can include it in the school curriculum. Decongestion of classrooms will also
be upheld.
There is a major
transmission of behavior change communication at the community level. Citizens
are being sensitized on the dangers of touching dead bodies and eating bush
meat which are the major modes of Ebola virus transmission. “We will be able to
make our people know that bush meat is unhealthy in order to avoid a relapse,” says
Abdulai.
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