Highlights:
· During the past two weeks, there were no new cases of Ebola, keeping number of confirmed cases since the start of the outbreak at 3,344.
· The commune of Ratoma in Conakry and the prefecture of Forécariah are still considered “active” for Ebola, having recently reported a confirmed case in September 2015. A total of 150 people who have been in close contact with suspected or confirmed Ebola victims remain under surveillance in Forécariah.
· The number of children who have received psychosocial support provided by UNICEF and partners rose this week to 125,601.
· UNICEF trained 51 community social mobilizers who distributed soap to 251 households and sensitized the occupants as part of the micro-containment campaign in the villages of Kiterin and Tana in Forécariah. Of those under surveillance, 155 people agreed to take part in the Ebola vaccine trial.
· The second round of the polio immunization campaign ran from 29 September to 1 October 2015, reaching more than 1.02 million children in four regions of Guinea.
· The Ministry of Education postponed the start of the school year from 5 October to 19 October 2015 to avoid any potential disruption caused by the 11 October presidential elections. UNICEF’s supply team distributed education supplies including bags, exercise books and geometry sets in 19 districts of the regions of Nzérékoré, Faranah, Mamou and Kindia. The education team is also creating messages to encourage parents to send their children to school.
· Results from the SMART nutrition surveyconducted in July 2015 show that the prevalence of malnutrition in Siguiri is very close to the crisis level of 15 per cent. In response, the Nutrition Cluster conducted a preliminary mission to Siguiri to assess needs and set priorities, and has devised an operational action plan.
· The number of children who have received psychosocial support provided by UNICEF and partners rose this week to 125,601.