Highlights
· There are currently six confirmed cases in this most recent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Margibi and Montserrado counties. Two of these are deceased, two have been discharged from an Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU), while the remaining two will be discharged as soon as they test negative. There is still no definitive information on the original source of transmission.
· As of 21 July 2015, there are 22 contacts being followed up in Margibi and 17 contacts in Montserrado.
· UNICEF has intensified its response efforts in the hotspots and at-risk communities. In addition to helping set up the Margibi Emergency Operations Center, a storage area for emergency supplies and a holding center in the hotspot community in Margibi, UNICEF is reaching affected households, health facilities where contacts have been seen, and schools that contacts have attended with a wide range of assistance.
UNICEF continues to dispatch supplies to address the most urgent Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) needs in the affected communities (schools, health facilities and holding center, households and checkpoints) including tents for isolation, hand-washing buckets, chlorine and gloves. Hygiene kits are currently being delivered to every household in the catchment area. UNICEF also sent teams to decontaminate two health facilities in the area, and provided packaged drinking water for health workers and households under voluntary precautionary observation as well as to the ETU where patients are being treated.
· A mop-up campaign targeting 16,530 people (3,120 households) in the affected communities in Margibi is underway. House-to-house visits and community dialogues with traditional healers and religious leaders are taking place regularly. The campaign is being conducted in teams of two comprising one active case finder and one social mobilizer with the aim to effectively communicate key messages on the threat of EVD and adequate preventive measures, and at the same time, carry out active case search.
· In response to the new EVD cases in Margibi County, UNICEF decontaminated two schools attended by some of the EVD-positive patients and their contacts in the hotspot communities. To respond quickly to the rising concerns amongst parents, students and teachers, a refresher training on Safe School Protocols is being conducted in all schools located in Mambah-Kaba district. In addition, psychosocial support services (PSS) is being provided to students and school staff.
· PSS, which includes talking to persons who are reluctant to stay under voluntary precautionary observation, has been provided to households and health workers under voluntary precautionary observation.