WHO Reports 9936 Ebola Cases And 4877 Deaths In West Africa

The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee presented its conclusions in Geneva today, it said the primary emphasis must continue to be stopping the transmission of Ebola within the three affected countries with intense transmission.

To date, The World Health Organization has reported a total of 9936 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and 4877 deaths in West Africa. Senegal and Nigeria have been declared Ebola free , while the disease transmission remains persistent in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Liberia remains the country worst affected by the outbreak. Only last week, 444 new cases were reported.

Out of total number of infections in the region, 443 health-care workers are known to have been infected with Ebola until 19 October, 244 of them have died.

Following the establishment of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), a comprehensive 90-day plan to control and reverse the epidemic of EVD in West Africa was put in place.

To quickly reverse the current crisis, capacities will be put in place to isolate at least 70 percent of cases and safely bury at least 70 percent of patients who die from Ebola by 1 December 2014.

The ultimate goal is to have capacity in place for the isolation of 100 percent of EVD cases and the safe burial of 100 percent of patients who die from EVD by the end of the year.

However, in the three most affected countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, capacity for case management has been increased substantially but remains far short of requirements.

Out of estimated 4388 beds required to achieve the target of isolating 70 percent of EVD cases by 1 December in 50 Ebola treatment units across the three countries only 1126 are in place. And only 69 of estimated 1000 medical vehicles have been delivered.

In addition, there is a shortage of foreign medical teams to manage and staff Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs).

A lack of available beds in ETUs often forces families to care for sick relatives at home where they are unable to properly protect themselves from exposure, thus increasing the risk of transmission within the family and throughout the community.

As a remedial measure, Ebola Community Care Units and Community Care Centres are now being put in place by governments and partners in both Sierra Leone and Liberia. These facilities will be closely linked to other essential activities such as case finding, community engagement, and safe burials.

SHOTLIST:
22 SEPTEMBER 2014, MONROVIA, LIBERIA

Exterior of of JFK Hospital Ebola Treatment Unit
Hospital sign
Temperature check
Nurse writing in a notebook
Goggles on a string
Doctor on the phone
Several medical staff discussing
Two doctors looking at the computer screen
Two doctors looking at the computer screen
Various shots, medical staff putting on protective gear
Various shots, Monrovia's open market

SOUNDBITE (English) Soka Moses, Doctor:
"The most important aspect is to move sick people as fast as possible from the communities. To do that, you need a very strong referral network. You need a lot of ambulances, if possible one ambulance per district."

SOUNDBITE (English) Soka Moses, Doctor:
"In addition to the many people that are dying; are being sick in the communities - Ebola has caused a serious standstill in our economy, our social life. It has changed our lifestyle. It has changed cultural and social relationships. And caused a lot of suffering; both to the economy, psychology and medical."

DURATION: 02:44