Highlights:
· As of 13 October 2015, Liberia has gone 98 days since the last confirmed Ebola case, and officially remains Ebola transmission free. As of 3 September 2015, the country is observing 90 days of active surveillance.
· UNICEF has been supporting the logistics team for the distribution of all supplies for the forthcoming integrated polio campaign (23-26 October 2015). Targets for the campaign are: 955,400 children 0-59 months to be vaccinated against polio, 851,750 children between 6-59 months to receive vitamin A and 738,184 children between 12-59 months will receive mebendazole tablets for deworming. UNICEF is supplying the mebendazole tablets and vitamin A capsules.
· Community engagement activities continue on maintaining vigilance against Ebola, encouraging reporting of all deaths, and promoting routine immunization. An estimated 17,940 houses were reached through door to door visits, and 570 community group discussions reached 33,810 men, 44,670 women, 68,160 children and 1,080 community leaders.
· A two-day UNICEF Lessons Learned workshop on Child Protection Response during the Ebola crisis was held in Monrovia bringing together 35 participants from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia to share experiences and best practices to inform future Child Protection Ebola response. Standard operating procedures from the three countries will be drafted and critical components of the response included like similarities and differences between the three country responses and issues related to the cultural contexts.
· A validation of the UNICEF supported Ministry of Health’s WASH and environmental health package for health facilities in Liberia was held on 8 October 2015 with participation of over 60 participants drawn from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Public Works, WHO, CDC and other partners. The document provides guidance to all partners implementing WASH and environmental health interventions in health facilities. The package will contribute to improve the quality of health service delivery and infection, prevention and control measures.