WHO Heightens Ebola Surveillance Approach In West Africa As New Cases Reported

JOHANNESBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th February, 2021) The World Health Organization (WHO) has heightened its preparedness in dealing with a possible outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, since seven cases of the virus and three related deaths were reported in Guinea alone, WHO Communications Officer in Sierra Leone Safie Gbori told Sputnik on Monday.

On Sunday, the health authorities in Guinea reported an outbreak of Ebola in the Goueke sub-prefecture, located about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Nzerekore, the country's second-largest city. This is the first time since 2016 that Ebola has been detected in the country.

"Our borders are porous. So our [work] in this part of the region is to make sure that our health care services are heightened and increase public awareness. In the event that it comes, we need to fix the roof before the rain," Gbori said.

The spokesperson said that the health care infrastructure is much better prepared following the outbreak that ravaged the region in the previous decade.

"We have learned lessons from the 2014 Ebola outbreak. We did not have the capacity at the time, so we learned a lot and we acquired enough training. We have structures like sophisticated laboratories. We have rapid response teams, protocols and check list have been observed," Gbori said.

The WHO is in touch with health ministries in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone to streamline up-to-date information and expertise, Gbori added. She added that WHO operatives' are somewhat inconvenienced by COVID-19 protocols, which limits some of their usual engagement during the outbreak response.

Between 2014 and 2015, Sierra Leone reported more than 8,700 cases and over 3,500 deaths. The most severe Ebola outbreak took place in West Africa from 2013-2016, resulting in the death of more than 11,000 people.