Sierra Leone News

12 September 2014 -- Cuba is known the world over for its ability to train excellent doctors and nurses who can then go out to help other countries in need. And now it will send a medical team of 165 people to Sierra Leone to help in the frontline in the Ebola response efforts.
Read the feature story
Read the statement

Intense surveillance in Kambia, Sierra Leone, has revealed around 75% of deaths have been occurring in children under 5. Even though Ebola transmission was halted in Kambia last month, mothers still are afraid of Ebola and don’t take their young children to health centres. WHO epidemiologists are countering misperceptions to get mothers and their children back to the health centres and lower childhood mortality rates.

Freetown, 11 August 2014 – President Ernest Bai Koroma made his third visit to the Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at the WHO Country Office in Freetown today 11 August. The President last visited the Centre on Saturday 9 August. In today’s visit the President participated in the daily meeting where he received briefing by the Minister of Health and Sanitation Ms Miatta Kargbo and the EOC body on the decisions, required actions and measures agreed upon by the EOC members as well as progress and challenges in the response.

Freetown, 9 August 2014 – The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, on Saturday, visited the Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at the WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone. This is the second visit of the President in 10 days. He made true his promise during his first visit on 31 July that he would be following up on the emergency response activities of the EOC.

Freetown, 1 August 2014 - The WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone on 1 August 2014 donated a consignment of assorted items worth US$38,000 to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. The donation is part of WHO’s continued support to the government of Sierra Leone in the Ebola outbreak response. The various items included 3,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to protect health workers particularly those that are directly involved in the management of cases in the treatment centres, the ambulance and burial teams. 

Freetown, 31 July 2014 - His Excellency President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone made a visit to the Ebola Emergency Operational Centre (EOC) work station at the World Health Organization Country Office in Sierra Leone on 31 July 2014. The President made the visit to assess readiness of the EOC which is the leading Coordination Structure in the Ebola outbreak response in Sierra Leone. Membership of the EOC comprised of heads of strategic local and international development agencies including the United Nations agencies, MSF, and other partners.

Freetown 30 July 2014 - His Excellency President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone visited Kenema and Kailahun on 28 and 29 July respectively to assess the level of the  ongoing Ebola outbreak in the two districts. This is the first visit of the President to the two epicentres of the outbreak since the onset of the disease in May this year. 

Freetown 23 July 2014 - The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Dr Luis Sambo continued his visit to the three West African Countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. On the second leg of his visit the Regional Director arrived in Sierra Leone on Tuesday 22 July 2014 to get more insight, review current outbreak response and challenges, and explore the best ways to rapidly contain the EVD outbreak in West Africa. 

Freetown, Sierra Leone, 11 July 2014 - The Kailahun District Health Management Team in collaboration with WHO, Red Cross, MSF, Metabiota and other partners has trained the last batch of 300 community volunteers in the district. The volunteers comprised of community health workers and Red Cross Volunteers selected across the communities in the 14 chiefdoms in Kailahun  District.

The volunteers were trained to identify and monitor Ebola signs and symptoms in persons that have had “contact” with Ebola patients.

Dr Keiji Fukuda, the Assistant Director General (ADG) for Health Security from the World Health Organization Headquarters in Geneva arrived in Sierra Leone on 8 July 2014. The visit was part of WHO’s continued engagement with the government and partners in ending the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the country. Dr Fukuda’s visit was also to reaffirm the Organization’s  continued commitment in coordinating and facilitating a speedy end of the outbreak.