Liberia News

17 November 2014 -- Dead bodies can be very contagious when it comes to Ebola, but that does not mean that every deceased person has died due to the disease. In order to speed up the process of identifying the cause of death of each patient, WHO is working closely with the Liberia Institute for Biomedical Research to train burial teams on how to collect an oral swab from deceased patients safely.

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14 November 2014 - Monrovia, Liberia. Today, Dr Bruce Aylward, head of the Ebola Response Team at the World Health Organization, wraps up a four-day visit to Liberia to get a better understanding of the Ebola response activities on the ground.

While the number of new cases appears to be declining, with reported cases in the capital city going down from 75 to 25 new cases per day, a mixed picture emerges in different counties.

As of 22 October 2014, a delegation of 53 Cuban health workers arrived in Liberia to help fight the Ebola outbreak. The Cuban team consists of nurses, doctors, epidemiologists and intensive care specialists. Having received an initial Ebola training in Cuba, all team members received a second training in Liberia on how to work in an Ebola treatment unit.

31 October 2014 – Monrovia, Liberia. Today a new Ebola treatment unit opens at the former Ministry of Defence compound, on the outskirts of Monrovia. This new unit adds another 200 beds to the almost 500 currently available for Ebola patients in the Liberian capital, which remains the epicentre of the outbreak.

October 2014 - One of the challenges to bring the Ebola outbreak under control in Liberia has been lack of access locally to laboratories able to provide a quick and firm diagnosis of the disease. This month the United States Navy opened a new high-tech mobile laboratory near the Island Clinic, one of the Ebola treatment units in Monrovia, Liberia, that is supported by the WHO.

When Dr Peter Clements arrived in Lofa County, Liberia eight weeks ago, from the WHO country office in Monrovia, 20-30 patients were arriving at the MSF hospital with Ebola-like symptoms every day. People living in the community were afraid, civil unrest was simmering, and an ambulance and health workers were being targeted. read the full story

Around 150 local construction workers have been working 3 shifts a day to build an Ebola treatment centre at the former Ministry of Defence compound on the outskirts of Monrovia.

The 6 large tents, that can house 50 patients each, are now in place and the centre is set to open at the end of October. This will add at least 200 additional beds for Ebola patients in Liberia.

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Only people who have been sick with Ebola virus disease and recovered from this traumatic experience can explain what it was like and what their needs were during the illness. That is why a group of 6 Ebola survivors were asked to play a critical role in a new training programme for health workers on Ebola care, which was established by WHO in consultation with the Ministry of Health and with support from USAID.

At the Island Clinic in Monrovia, Liberia the discharge of a patient who has recovered from Ebola virus disease inspires joy among all the health workers at the facility. Every life saved is another boost to morale.

“As we see fewer people dying, the health workers are becoming more confident about their work,” says Dr Atai Omoruto, a Ugandan doctor deployed to Liberia by WHO and is serving as officer in charge at the clinic.

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Pupils of Deaf and Dumb School showing sign of ‘I love you’ to Professor Davidson Munodawafa following a talk on keeping Ebola out of the community
 

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Prof.  Davison Munodawafa demonstrating hand-washing at the Deaf and Dumb School in Virginia, Montserrado
 

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A young girl displaying the sign language of ‘l love you’, the others are looking at the interpreter on the other side
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Training of gCHVs in Rural Montserrado
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Chatting with other colleagues during lunch break

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