Sierra Leone Dep Health Minister 1 interacts on Ebola prevention
Makeni, April 29, 014 (SLENA) – Deputy Health and Sanitation Minister 1, Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah has commended District Health Management Teams in Bombali, Kambia and Port Loko and other areas for their level of cooperation and vigilant response in the fight against the Ebola deadly disease.
Speaking at a meeting held in Makeni, Kambia and Port Loko on how the Councils, Chiefs, Religious and Traditional Leaders, and Health development partners can assist the District Health Management Teams to prevent an outbreak of the Ebola disease in Sierra Leone, Dr. Fofanah reiterated government’s continued strive and commitment to avert an outbreak of the disease in the country.
He told his audience that accelerated efforts have been put in place with support from the MRU, WHO, UNFPA and other partners in the area of case Management, Coordination Communication and Sensitization, adding that as of April 18, 2014 no confirmed case has been reported.
The outbreak in Guinea and Liberia, Dr. Fofanah said, is threatening, pointing out that the death toll in Guinea increases on a regular basis, but that the Ministry appreciates the level of cooperation by surveillance officers, security personnel and health workers at the various border crossing points.
Commenting on the closure of the borders of Guinea-Liberia, Dr. Fofanah dilated on the political bilateral relationship between Sierra Leone and Guinea, describing any closure for now as a false security measures that would not help the current situation but rather trigger opening for unaccountable illegal entry routes into the country which would make tracing and tracking difficult.
He said government has however put a ban on the importation of corpses from Guinea and Liberia, and encouraged his audience to step up action on the sensitization and education of the disease in their various chiefdoms and communities noting that prevention is the only way out in the fight against Ebola, noting that the disease is not curable but can be prevented.
Dr. Fofanah reaffirmed government’s commitments by setting up a National Task Force, and an Inter-Ministerial Committee with Line Ministries working jointly with local and international organizations in addressing the challenges.
He noted that the high risk people are the health workers, and the relative of someone who had died of Ebola, and encouraged them to behave positively so that the level of preparedness and emergency response mechanism by government would be well complimented.
Making his remarks, the District Medical Officer Bombali, Dr. Yankuba Madina Bah in his update said sensitization exercises have been stepped up in all the chiefdoms including the Kamakwie-border axis in the Sella Limba Chiefdom few miles to Guinea.
He stressed the need to strengthen security and surveillance at illegal border crossing points even though the surveillance system in the district is intact.
Dr. Bah reiterated their commitment in complimenting the efforts of the partners, adding that the Emergency District Task Force since the outbreak in Guinea, continue to accelerate efforts in the fight against an outbreak into the country.
Deputizing the Mayor of Makeni City, the Deputy Chief Administrator, Madam Bintu Vangahun, maintained that the fight against the deadly Ebola disease is not only for the Medical team but a concern for every Sierra Leonean.
She told the meeting that Makeni City Council has put in place precautionary measures with support from the Health Ministry to mount awareness raising sensitization on the disease.
Making her remarks on behalf of the NGO’s, the representative of World Hope International, Madam Bernadette Udo, appealed for the establishment of an Emergency District Response Fund which she said NGOs operating in the district would give their total support.
She said, added to the fight against the Ebola disease, they are currently mounting sensitization on Lassa Fever and cholera, and commended the Bombali District Health Management Team for their dynamism.
Other speakers include the representative of the Paramount Chief of Bombali Sebora Chiefdom, Alhaji Ben Bella Kamara and the Deputy Council Chairman and Chairman for the occasion, Mr. Mohamed Bangura.
Similar meetings were held in the Kambia and Port Loko districts with discussions, questions, and meaningful contributions.
JAK/MOHS/SLENA
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