HIGHLIGHTS
• As of 29 February 2016, Liberia has reached day 46 of the 90 days of active surveillance and has been free of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) since 3 December 2015.
• Essential medicines (including antibiotics, anti-malarial medications, electrolytes, etc. valued at over US$1.4m), procured to support the restoration of health services commenced in mid-February with delivery at county depots completed in all 15 counties.
• The distribution of Teaching and Learning Materials is ongoing and has so far reached 579,081 of the targeted 1,196,010 students (48.4 %) and 36,541 teachers, covering 2,819 schools in 10 of the 15 Counties.
• The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) social workers have provided 6,836 children having lost one or both parents/primary caregivers due to EVD among the 8,019 registered children (1,908 having lost both parents/caregivers and 6,111 having lost one parent/caregiver) with a US$ 150 emergency grant.
• UNICEF supported the Ministry of Health and partners to launch a polio campaign to improve coverage across the country. Campaign dates were 26-29 February, with social mobilization activities beginning on 16 February 2016 (10 days earlier) to intensify mobilization, given the still relatively high levels of absent children and pockets of non-compliance - especially in high risk counties. Unlike previous polio campaigns, 2,350 general community Health Volunteers (gCHVs) are conducting face-to face mobilization of parents on a house by house basis.
• As part of the rehabilitation and improvement of WASH systems in healthcare facilities to ensure Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) compliance, restoration of WASH/waste facilities is ongoing in nine health facilities, out of which work is nearing completion in four facilities. In addition, a geophysical investigation exercise has also been completed at 31 health facilities across the country to ensure proper and cost effective drilling of boreholes.