From Deputy Chief of Mission Kathleen FitzGibbon December 14, 2014 Did you catch “A Stitch in Time: The Ebola Story” last night? It is being repeated again tonight at 10 p.m. on SLBC. The stories in the movie give sound prevention advice: don’t play “house doctor,” but instead call authorities for assistance; don’t touch or wash dead bodies; and don’t stigmatize or discriminate against survivors. Actions you can take include calling 117 for assistance for your loved ones, reporting early for treatment, and avoid body contact. Yesterday, a survivor said that he was saved by early treatment. He walked to the treatment center instead of waiting for the ambulance. He urged everyone to do the same: get help immediately! I was looking back at Sierra Leone’s index case for this epidemic, a female traditional healer, who had assisted in a funeral in Guinea. The first cases broke out in Koindu, Kailahun in May when she died and her body was washed by others. In addition, one of the related suspect cases was taken from an isolation center. From there, we found ourselves where we are today. Now, with massive public awareness, an infusion of assistance in the form of treatment centers, health care workers, and active community involvement, the previous epicenters of Kailahun and Kenema have few or no cases at all and the facilities there are caring for people from other communities. Today, transmission is occurring even though it can be prevented. Freetown is accounting for 50% of the current cases. Port Loko, Bombali, and Tonkolili are other hotspots. Now, Kono ‘s situation is deteriorating. World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control are on the scene and coming up with solutions with local authorities for getting cases isolated. Many are going to Kenema and Kailahun until a safe holding center can be set up in the coming week. The Ebola response has come a long way since May. In the past two months alone, the response effort has more than doubled in capacity, with treatment, holding, and community care centers opening up in Freetown and the rest of the country. We have increased laboratory capacity and the numbers of trained health care workers has grown exponentially. The time is now to focus on ending the disease’s transmission. We will continue running behind the disease if we do not stay focused and change behavior. The majority of cases are still stemming from unsafe burials. Each incident starts another transmission chain. Break the chain. Do not touch dead bodies, find ways to adjust customs and traditions, and think about whether your loved one would want you to die. This means every household, every family, and every community must commit themselves to getting family members into safe isolation and ensuring no family member participate in unsafe burial practices. The government and partners have mobilized a massive effort to break the ongoing transmission in Western Urban and Rural Areas over the next two weeks. We have worked hard to ensure that the infrastructure is in place. Now it is up to all residents to do their part. Report cases to surveillance officers, get help for those infected, and take actions to protect you and your family members from contracting Ebola. Say to yourself that “STOPPING EBOLA STARTS WITH ME.” We cannot reach zero transmission unless we each change what we are doing to enable the disease to kills our loved ones. Get ready, Freetown, and assist the upcoming surge activity. The government and partners have mobilized treatment centers, health care workers, and systems to get people into isolation and bury those who have died in a safe manner. It is in the hands of every household to stop this disease. Do not let Ebola into your home. This is a battle that can only be won if everyone takes responsibility and plays their role in Kicking Ebola Out. Complacency kills, ownership and positive action wins!
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 21:32:58 +0000
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