UNIFICATION CITY, Margibi – Health authorities in Margibi on Monday, July 20 reunited the last batch of Ebola victims with their families in Needorwein.

They include four males who were confirmed of Ebola and treated at the ELWA Ebola Treatment Unit. They are Othello, age 19; Moses, 13; Korlubah, 24; and Friday, 27. Their last names have been removed to protect them from stigmatization.

Also reunited with her family was 10-year-old Manwein, who was suspected of Ebola but she tested negative and later recovered.

Speaking at the official turnover ceremony in Needorwein, Margibi Health Officer Dr. Adolphus Yeaie said reuniting the last batch of Ebola positive victims with the community and their families was a remarkable moment that will go down in the history of Liberia’s fight against Ebola. “This is what we have been praying for – that those we take to the treatment unit return,” he said.

Yeaie said the four community members earlier confirmed of Ebola and the one female suspected of having the virus have all recovered and have been declared freed of Ebola.

He praised the returnees for giving themselves in to be treated and cared for by health experts rather than staying away and infecting others in the community.

Margibi County Health Officer Dr. Adolphus Yeaie. Photo: Gbatemah Senah

Yeaie encouraged families and community members to welcome the survivors and help reintegrate them into the society without discrimination. He encouraged the survivors to avoid unprotected sex for at least six months or use condoms. This measure, he said, is to avoid a further transmission of the virus to sex partners until the virus can fully lose the strength of transmission in the cells of the survivors.

Yeaie also encouraged the community to continue observing the preventive measures against Ebola. He said Margibi’s health team will provide reintegration packages and benefits to the survivors. He also encouraged the community leadership to register the survivors with the Ebola Survivors Network of Liberia in order to benefit from opportunities including the ongoing Ebola study.

Receiving the survivors on behalf of the local administration, Superintendent Henric Marcus Speare of the Mboo Statutory District praised health authorities and their collaborating partners for saving the lives of the five community members.

Speare said the reintegration of the five community members is the best Independence Day celebration package the community has received. He said their return has reassured other residents of the community that even if they are confirmed of Ebola, they can survive. He also praised the families of the survivors for cooperating with the health team to ensure that the lives of their family members can be saved.

Speaking briefly to The Bush Chicken on Monday, the survivors expressed gratitude to God and those who helped in ensuring that they survive from Ebola.

Korlubah, one of the Ebola survivors, said he was happy to return home after being treated for over three weeks at the ELWA Ebola Treatment Unit. He said it was by the grace of God and through the efforts of health workers that they survived the Ebola virus. He said it was “God first, [and] the doctors and Nurses helped to save our lives.”

Othello, another survivor, said his experience at the ELWA Treatment Unit made him believe that Ebola is real. He said he had doubted the existence of Ebola until he fell victim to it.

Meanwhile, the Youth Spokesman of Needorwein, Christopher Dompu, said he was happy now that the five young people of his community have returned from the ETU in sound mind. “I am so happy to witness the return of these five young people,” he said.

He praised health authorities for all the positive steps taken to break the chain of transmission and save the lives of people in the community.

The Senior Elder of the Community, Isaac Kangar, also thanked health authorities and members of the community for working with partners to break the transmission of the virus in the community. “I am really happy for the work of the health workers and the community members,” he said.

At the same time, the head of the Community Ebola Taskforce in Needorwein, Jemama Karsue, also thanked Margibi’s health team and collaborating partners.

She encouraged the community to stay focused with preventive measures against the virus and to always report sick people. She discouraged all forms of discrimination against the survivors in the community. “Now that our people are back, we want you to accept them and ensure that they are not stigmatized,” she said.

Featured photo by Gbatemah Senah