Situation Report

Community Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Ebola Virus Disease — Five Counties, Liberia, September–October, 2014

Fri, 2015-07-10 13:11 — mike kraft

CDC Morbid and Mortality Weekly Report by Miwako Kobayashi, MD and others July 10, 2015

To assess Ebola-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in the community, CDC epidemiologists who were deployed to the counties (field team), carried out a survey conducted by local trained interviewers. The survey was conducted in September and October 2014 in five counties in Liberia with varying cumulative incidence of Ebola cases. Survey results indicated several findings.

First, basic awareness of Ebola was high across all surveyed populations (median correct responses = 16 of 17 questions on knowledge of Ebola transmission; range = 2–17). Second, knowledge and understanding of Ebola symptoms were incomplete (e.g., 61% of respondents said they would know if they had Ebola symptoms). Finally, certain fears about the disease were present: >90% of respondents indicated a fear of Ebola patients, >40% a fear of cured patients, and >50% a fear of treatment units (expressions of this last fear were greater in counties with lower Ebola incidence).

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Surge of Ebola in Liberia May Be Linked to a Survivor

Fri, 2015-07-10 11:08 — mike kraft

NEW YORK TIMES by Sheri Fink July 10, 2015

A resurgence of Ebola in the last week in Liberia, which had been declared free of the disease, may have originated with a survivor still carrying the virus, according to scientists who analyzed the genetic sequence of the virus from the body of a 17-year-old Liberian boy who died of Ebola last week.

The boy’s virus did not match strains still circulating in the continuing outbreak in Guinea and Sierra Leone, meaning he was unlikely to have caught the virus through cross-border travel.

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Lack of People, Supplies and Money Plague Africa's Ebola Fight - Experts

Wed, 2015-07-08 17:40 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Health workers put on protective gear before entering a quarantine zone at a Red Cross facility in the town of Koidu, Kono district in Eastern Sierra Leone December 19, 2014. Reuters/Baz Ratner

reuters.com - by Leslie Gevirtz - July 8, 2015

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Three Ebola-stricken countries will seek nearly $700 million in aid at a U.N. conference this week to rebuild their devastated health care systems, the World Health Organization said.

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, which are all experiencing a resurgence of the deadly hemorrhagic fever, have budgeted a little more than $2 billion between them to restore their health systems.

But, according to WHO, to reach that goal they will still need $696 million in aid from donor nations.

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Liberia - More Confirmed Ebola Cases in New Outbreak

Wed, 2015-07-08 16:57 — Kathy Gilbeaux

The home of 17-year-old Abraham Memaigar, one of two persons confirmed to be infected with the Ebola virus, is seen in Nedowein, Liberia, July 1, 2015. Reuters/James Giahyue

Initial Ebola test on Liberia dog carcass negative - sources

reuters.com - by Emma Farge - July 7, 2015

. . . The deputy head of Liberia's Ebola response team, Francis Ketteh, could not immediately confirm the findings.

"Even if that dog had anything, finding it now will be difficult because of the time lapse. We are trying to do everything to find the source," he said.

Ketteh added that two new Ebola cases had been confirmed in addition to three previously recorded cases. A second member of the country's response team also stated that a total of five cases had been confirmed in the new outbreak.

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Panel Calls W.H.O. Unfit to Handle a Crisis Like Ebola

Tue, 2015-07-07 09:00 — Kathy Gilbeaux

nytimes.com - by SOMINI SENGUPTA - July 7, 2015

UNITED NATIONS — More than a year after the Ebola epidemic began tearing through three of the world’s most fragile countries, the World Health Organization remains unfit to handle a public health emergency, an independent panel concluded in a blistering report issued Tuesday.

“W.H.O. does not currently possess the capacity or organizational culture to deliver a full emergency public health response,” the panel said in its report.

While the agency itself has acknowledged the need for change, the panel added, “it will need to be held accountable to ensure that this transformation is achieved.”

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CLICK HERE - WHO - Report of the Ebola Interim Assessment Panel

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Bush Meat Trade Roaring Again Despite Ebola Ban

Sun, 2015-07-05 21:58 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Despite a ban on bush meat, due to the threat of Ebola, Liberians are once again selling it in markets and along the sides of roads. Photo: Issa Davies/IRIN

irinnews.org - by Prince Collins - June 24, 2015

. . . the trade in bush meat, a known source of the Ebola virus, has picked up once again. . . .

. . . Monkeys, antelope, raccoons, rodents, bats, and a variety of other animals native to the forests of Liberia, are once again filling market stalls around the country. . . .

. . . As the official US government advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “human infections have been associated with hunting, butchering and processing of meat of infected animals.”

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UNICEF Recruits U-Reporters Across Liberia

Sun, 2015-07-05 14:59 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Posted by U-report Liberia on Monday, June 29, 2015

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Rural women’s groups in peacebuilding activities

Sat, 2015-07-04 11:10 — Maeryn Obley

Women at a VSLA meeting in Barkedu.

Image: Women at a VSLA meeting in Barkedu.

fao.org - June 25th, 2015

FAO’s integrated approach of reaching Ebola-hit farmers in Liberia’s Lofa County is bearing increased results not only in crop production, VSLA (village savings and loan associations) revitalization and education in Ebola prevention but the help is also uniting women in peacebuilding, palaver management as well as visiting sick members.

The women associations have transcended the normal call of duty to VSLA and business activities among members to also get involved in other “worthy communal undertakings.” They have expanded shared group engagements to include sympathizing with bereaved members and palaver resolution among aggrieved women.

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Three Ways the World’s Power Mix Is About To Change

Sat, 2015-07-04 10:59 — Maeryn Obley

weather.com - June 26th, 2015 - Brian Kahn

Big changes are afoot for the energy sector in the next 25 years. Coal and gas are headed out, and solar and wind are rushing to take their place on a multi-trillion dollar investment bonanza, according to a new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The report scopes out the power generating landscape through 2040.

The main reason for the big shift in power generation isn’t likely to be because of a grand climate agreement, national policies or carbon pricing scheme, though. Instead, it comes down to cold, hard cash, with renewables offering more power-generating bang for the buck than fossil fuels. Here are the three big numbers.

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Liberia Investigating Animal Link After Ebola Re-Emerges

Thu, 2015-07-02 16:44 — Kathy Gilbeaux

reuters.com - By Alphonso Toweh and James Harding Giahyue - July 2, 2015

Liberia confirmed a third Ebola case on Thursday, nearly two months after it was declared Ebola free, and officials said they were investigating whether the disease had managed to lurk in animals before resurfacing.

Dr Moses Massaquoi, case management team leader for Liberia's Ebola task force, said the three villagers who had tested positive for the disease had shared a meal of dog meat, which is commonly eaten in Liberia.

"They come from the same time and have a history of having had dog meat together," he said.

The response team was investigating whether domestic animals might be carrying the virus, he said, referring also to mysterious deaths of hundreds of cattle in remote Lofa county.

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(ALSO SEE RELATED INFORMATION HERE)

AFP - YouTube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKkuOZCN3Iw

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