Kenya stepped up its contingency plan for Ebola Preparedness and Response this week with the training of health workers and medical personnel.

Accra, 26th September, 2014 -The World Health Organization (WHO) has signed an agreement with the Norwegian Government for the release of 6,200,000 Norwegian Kroner (approximately US$ 1,000,000.00 ) to support WHO’s Action Plan for Ebola Outbreak Preparedness in Ghana.

Abuja, 26th Septembers, 2014 - The drum-beats and the sounds from the algaitas (trumpets) reverberate in the communities to herald the arrival of the vaccination teams, trigger the extraordinary flow of children out to the streets, mothers/ caregivers peeping through the doors and over the low fences of the compounds to have a glimpse of the Directly Observed Polio Vaccination (DOPV); essentially the administration of OPV to eligible children and distribution of appropriate attractive pluses like milk sachets, soap, candies and whistles, under the watchful eyes of senior supervisors.

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Pupils of Deaf and Dumb School showing sign of ‘I love you’ to Professor Davidson Munodawafa following a talk on keeping Ebola out of the community
 

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Prof.  Davison Munodawafa demonstrating hand-washing at the Deaf and Dumb School in Virginia, Montserrado
 

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A young girl displaying the sign language of ‘l love you’, the others are looking at the interpreter on the other side
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Training of gCHVs in Rural Montserrado
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Chatting with other colleagues during lunch break

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The Government of Liberia has signed its first three groundbreaki ng contract agreements with key implementing partners for the US$52m Ebola Emergency Response operation that is intended to accelerate Liberia’s response to the Ebola epidemic across the country

Last week saw a welcome boost to numbers of treatment places available to people with Ebola in Monrovia, Liberia. The Island Clinic, a private clinic refurbished as an Ebola Treatment Unit by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare with support from WHO and other partners, opened its doors on Sunday 21 September, adding another desperately needed 120 Ebola treatment beds to the 240 available in Monrovia.

As part of continued efforts to improve access to health services and the quality of health care in South Sudan WHO supported the Ministry of Health (MoH) to host a national patient safety and quality consultative meeting over two days. This was the first of its kind in the Republic of South Sudan.

This week marks 6 months since WHO was notified of an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Guinea. This outbreak has since evolved into the largest, most severe and most complex outbreak in the history of the disease. The number of cases and deaths far exceeds those from all past outbreaks combined. The 3 most-affected countries – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – face enormous challenges in stopping transmission and providing care for all patients.

The 2014 Synchronized National Immunization Days (NIDs) against polio, currently taking place in 13 West and Central African countries, kicked off in the Gambia on the eve of the campaign at the Kanifing Municipal Council Grounds (KMC) in Sere Kunda (18th September 2014).  Two rounds of polio NIDs are slated for 19th -22nd September 2014 and 31st Oct. – 03rd Nov. 2014 respectively.
 

Harare, 22 Sept.