UNIFICATION CITY, Margibi – Reports released on Monday by health authorities in Margibi revealed that eighteen contacts from the Ebola outbreak in Needorwein are currently at large.
According to the update released during a stakeholders briefing in Unification City, eight staff members from Kelvin Clinic, a private health facility located in the vicinity of the current outbreak, four commercial motorcyclists, and six other persons who interacted with the carriers before they were confirmed positive of Ebola have not been located.
A report that was current up to Monday, July 6 revealed that there are three confirmed cases, one pending result and two probable cases in the current outbreak. The report said except the first case who died, there are two other positive cases, one probable, and one pending. They are all alive and currently at the ELWA Ebola Treatment Unit.
Field reports displayed during the Ebola-stakeholders update briefing held near the Unification City Health Center on Monday. Photo credit: Gbatemah Senah
The update also detailed that there are currently 147 contacts under active surveillance and 143 contacts under follow-up, including 24 health workers. It also clarified that there are 12 health workers undergoing observation at the Unification City Health Center and ten health workers under observation at the Charlesville Clinic.
Several coordinating partners comprising local and international organizations working to end the outbreak attended the briefing. The groups include UNICEF, Save the Children, World Health Organization, Child Fund, World Food Program, Red Cross, Center for Disease Control and representatives of the Ministry of Health, among others.
None of the stakeholders spoke to the media. They were adhering to strict instructions from the head of the Incident Management System, Tolbert Nyenswah, who asked that all information be released only by him. Efforts to reach Nyenswah to comment on the reports failed on Monday.
Comfort Johnson, a resident of Needorwein, told The Bush Chicken that she was hopeful that the outbreak would end soon.
“It is my hope that this outbreak will shortly come to an end,†she said. She said the outbreak has affected her normal activities due to fear of coming in contact with infected persons.
Christopher Dompu, the spokesman for a Needorwein youth group, explained that the youth of the community were supportive of the vigorous surveillance for possible contacts in the community.
He said that the youths have volunteered their services to work with others carrying out surveillance, tracing contacts and engaging in health mobilization in the community.
“We are in support of what the government and partners are doing to bring this outbreak to an end,†he said.
Featured image courtesy of Gbatemah Senah
