Breaking news: Ebola cases confirmed in neighbouring Guinea for the first time since 2016.
My heart sank last night when I read that there was a likely resurgence of Ebola in Guinea. Samples had been sent to Conakry for confirmation and today the Ministry of Health in Guinea confirmed the Ebola cases. There have been 7 cases in the south-east of the country, of which 3 died, and all were linked to the burial of a nurse who died late January.
Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast will need to plan carefully, act quickly and work together effectively. Let's get this right! I know that we are better prepared now than we were in 2014 but there's still a lot of work to be done.
For Sierra Leone, this means taking immediate action to prevent entry of the Ebola virus into the country. Our Health Emergency Response System was activated to level II, focusing on enhanced surveillance, active case finding and robust community engagement to build trust. At the same time, we have to continue our fight against COVID19.
Thankfully, at the end of the previous West African Ebola outbreak a vaccine was developed, which brings hope. Although some vaccine is stockpiled in Switzerland, production of the vaccine will need to increase to meet demand, which is challenging when COVID19 vaccines are being ramped up globally.
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