Ebola : Success Achieved but Challenges Remain

By NewsfromAfrica

Guinea - In the fight against Ebola Guinea, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF ) and the Ministry of Health reap successes, but challenges remain . Medical activities have been suspended in one of the communities affected by the epidemic, at a time when the first patients were recorded having defeated the Ebola virus and left at care centers .

There is no specific treatment against Ebola and mortality rates of the disease are high. However, if patients receive treatment for secondary infections and are rehydrated in health facilities well managed , their chances of survival increase .

" When the first patient was released from the center of care, I was really happy. The whole team was really excited , "says Marie- Claire Lamah , Guinean doctor working for MSF in the center of care Ebola at Donka Hospital in the capital Conakry.

MSF supports the efforts of the Ministry of Health to eradicate this epidemic. To date, the Guinean authorities have identified 151 suspected cases and 95 deaths .

A Macenta , in south- eastern Guinea , MSF's activities were suspended following an incident in which the people demonstrated and threw stones at the structures of care and organization vehicles . The event was triggered by the dissemination of false information that MSF would have brought the virus in the village. No MSF staff were injured in the incident, but the activities had to be suspended .

" We understand the concerns of the population , " said Henry Gray, MSF emergency coordinator. "We have faced similar reactions in other countries . In this type of situation, it is important to ensure that people have a good understanding of the disease and its risks . A Macenta , a team of patient education was in place, but it is very difficult to inform people about the virus in their language, while making every effort to stop the epidemic. "

While negotiations with the authorities continue, MSF plans to revive its activities Macenta soon as possible.

MSF continued its activities Guékédou , another town southeast of Guinea , where the organization has set up an isolation unit . In Conakry, the treatment center Ebola installed by MSF increased from 10 to 30 beds.

"We currently have eight patients in the center of Conakry and we have increased its capacity in case of need," said Henry Gray.

Conakry and elsewhere, MSF and other organizations working in the field of health have sent teams into the communities to identify people who had contact with patients suffering from Ebola and try to trace the spread of the disease.

MSF also works with local communities to ensure that patients cured can return home safely and that everyone understands that they are no longer contagious.

"We know how stigma can be very strong and difficult to manage for patients who have overcome the disease," says Ella Watson- Stryker, a health promoter . "We explain to family and neighbors that the patient is now negative and no longer pose a risk to anyone. We can kiss , touch, hug without any risk of contagion "

MSF has sent sixty expatriate staff in Guinea and over 40 tons of equipment to fight against the epidemic.

Following the announcement of Ebola cases in Liberia , MSF sent a specialist to train health personnel and improve the segregation unit set up by the Ministry of Health in Liberia. On 6 April, MSF has also sent medical supplies and equipment for the isolation of patients from Brussels to the capital Monrovia.