Emergency Response: Ebola
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
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bola "% % "* Outbreak: % " "# '"(&#)"(#()!"!& In March 2014 Field Officer Baindu Saidu trains Traditional Birth Attendants to help raise awareness about ebola and how to prevent the disease from spreading. the World Health $#$) (#"(&#) #'#"((+(( Credit: Concern Worldwide, July 2014. Organisation was + " ##/'&(#"'/#&"'#&#(&#% - notified of an outbreak of a communicable " )'#"("!% # '1 disease characterised More intense colour shows %multiple outbreaks % &( INFORMATION SOURCES by fever, severe diarrhoea, vomiting, and 2014 "&/"(#"'"#)!"( Pandemics: 50 of the World’s worst plagues: Peter Moore, New Holland Press, 2007 a high fatality rate in the 1976 - 2013 (&#)(" "#"( New England Journal of Medicine: Ebola - A Growing Threat? Heinz Feldmann, M.D., May 7, 2014 West African country of Guinea. Further Deaths: !$".'/#& '/&)(('/!#"-'/ The Independent, Ebola Outbreaks, Dr. Peter Piot, March 27, 2014 analysis confirmed that #&'("( #$"$#&)$"'#)" #& World Health Organisation: Ebola Virus Disease Fact Sheet No. 103 (updated April 2014) the disease was the Ebola virus and linked it 200 100 50 10 #&"(&"#&'(1 World Health Organisation: Ebola Virus Disease Update, West Africa, August 4th, 2014 with a fatality that had occurred four months # '"(&#)"(#()!" earlier in December (Figures up to 27 July 2014) Source: WHO, HPA, CDC $#$)# ("'$&'"(#!!)"(- (#"(&#) #'#"((+(( 2013. (&#))!"5(#5)!"(&"'!''#"/ ##/'&(#"'/#&"'#&#(&# - Save Children From By August 2014 the +("(#"&') ("&#!&(#"((7(&#)&#"' )'#"("!"#&!)#)'!!&"'8+(( '1 The Ebola Virus virus had spread to Sierra Leone, Liberia ##/'&(#"'/#&"'#&#(&# - )'#"($#$ /""&(#"((+( and Nigeria infecting "*&#"!"('#"(!"(+(') )'1 over 2,100 people "&/"(#"'"#)!"( EMERGENCY DONATE and claiming 1,100 (&#)(" "#"( NOW lives (as of August 16, )& &!#"'"+!#)&"&'*&(#"((+((#-#('$&'#"" APPEAL 2014). While the Ebola Concern public education banner, Sierra Leone. Photo: Charlie Donnelly, Concern. !$".'/#& '/&)(('/!#"-'/ outbreak is a source '#$ -&# "((&"'!''#"## 1 "+#*&#&'("(#*&&#!(''"'( #$"$#&)$"'#)" #& of worry and concern particularly in relation “Fundamentally,(&"'!((*&)'(&#)(&'!"#&)$(#B+'(& Ebola is easy to It’s really a disease of poverty #&"(&"#&'(1&#*&-&#! "''1 to the number of lives contain. It’s not a question of needing and neglect of health systems, it Emergency Response is a series of information sheets highlighting the work of Concern in emergency situations lost, Dr Peter Piot one high technology. It’s about respecting often spreads when hospital workers of the scientists who (5&+#&&'*&%)"( -""(+ (&("$("('+(')'$(#& the basics of hygiene, and about or mourners come into contact with # ("'$&'"(#!!)"(- discovered the Ebola isolation,#"&!1''#)&& quarantine and protecting bodily fluids(&#) like blood and #'#"((+($( vomit, when "('+""(#"#"(&# virus in 1976, has (&#))!"5(#5)!"(&"'!''#"/ yourself — in particular protecting hospitals use unsanitized needles, or emphasised that it’s not +("(#"&')$&)(#"'&"#('(&( ("&#!&(#"((7(&#)&#"' -$&(1 "#&!)#)'!!&"'8+(( 52-55 Lower Camden St, Dublin 2 healthcare workers, because they are when people handle or eat the meat of Tel: +353 1 417 7700 Fax: +353 1 475 7362 Email: [email protected] Web: www.concern.net like a highly contagious flu. very exposed.##/'&(#"'/#&"'#&#(&#infected animals, like- bats.” )'#"($#$ /""&(#"((+( www.facebook.com/concernworldwide www.twitter.com/concern "*&#"!"('#"(!"(+(') )'1 Concern Active Citizenship Unit, August 2014 )& &!#"'"+!#)&"&'*&(#"((+((#-#('$&'#"" '#$ -&# "((&"'!''#"## 1 "+#*&#*&&#!(''"'( (&"'!((*&)'(&#)(&'!"#&)$(#B+'(&&#*&-&#! "''1 (5&+#&&'*&%)"( -""(+ (&("$("('+(')'$(#& #"&!1''#)&&(&#) #'#"((+($("('+""(#"#"(&# $&)(#"'&"#('(&( -$&(1 TRANSMISSION CONCERN RESPONSE Ebola is introduced into the Ebola spreads in the community a role in the transmission of Ebola. IN SIERRA LEONE AND “It is the worst case of Ebola ever. It is on human population through through human-to-human Men who have recovered from the LIBERIA a different scale regarding the number of close contact with the blood, transmission, with infection resulting disease can still transmit the virus cases and the number of deaths.” secretions, organs or other from direct contact (through broken through their semen for up to seven Prevention: In Sierra Leone and Liberia Concern is Alistair Short, Concern Country Director, bodily fluids of infected skin or mucous membranes) with weeks after recovery from illness. focused on fighting Ebola before people get sick. We have Liberia animals. the blood, secretions, organs or printed and disseminated thousands of awareness posters other bodily fluids of infected Health-care workers have frequently and factsheets suitable for all levels of literacy as well as In Africa, infection has been people, and indirect contact with been infected while treating patients creating radio jingles to educate people on the risk factors documented through the handling of environments contaminated with with suspected or confirmed Ebola of infection. infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit such fluids. Virus Disease (EVD). This has bats, monkeys, forest antelope and occurred through close contact Health Centres: Concern is working to support over 100 porcupines found ill or dead or in the Burial ceremonies in which mourners with patients when infection control health centres by providing protective equipment such as hasten their death. This misinformation means that rainforest. have direct contact with the body of precautions are not strictly practiced. aprons, gloves and masks for health workers. We are also people who are diagnosed sometimes flee, rejecting the treatment that might save their lives the deceased person can also play providing training sessions for traditional birth attendants, village leaders and traditional healers and establishing hand washing stations where people can properly wash and Changing behaviours: Concern is also warning disinfect their hands. locals not to eat bush meat from the likes of monkeys and particularly fruit bats who act as the PREVIOUS OUTBREAKS OF EBOLA: Tackling Myths: There are many myths surrounding the host of the Ebola virus. Warnings too are also given about traditional practices of washing a corpse It was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 since then it has affected countries further Ebola virus that need to be addressed, such as the belief before being buried without using protective wear or east, including Uganda and Sudan. Prior to the current outbreak the worst incidence of the Ebola virus occurred in that the disease is politically motivated or spread by NGOs even touching a corpse at the funeral as a body can the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1995 when 254 people lost their lives. or the government. In some villages people believe that if they go to a medical clinic they will be given an injection to remain highly infectious after death. The 2014 outbreak is unusual because it started in Guinea which has never before been affected and is spreading to high density urban areas like Conakry in Guinea, Monrovia in Liberia and Freetown in Sierra Leone. Ministry of Health & Sanitation May 2014 PATIENT ZERO KEY FACTS Patient Zero in the Ebola outbreak, EBOLA KEY MESSAGES researchers suspect, was a 2-year- 1. Ebola is a severe infectious disease that kills BUT can be prevented. old boy who died on Dec. 6, just a The Ebola virus derives its name after the Ebola river in the Democratic Republic Of The Congo, where it was 2. Go to a health facility immediately if you have a sudden fever or few days after falling ill in a village in 1 first detected in 1976 diarrhea or vomiting OR you have recently come into direct contact Guéckédou, in southeastern Guinea. with wounds or body fluids of an infected person. Bordering Sierra Leone and Liberia, 3. Ebola treatment is free in all government health facilities. Guéckédou is at the intersection of 4. Help prevent Ebola by reporting all suspected cases immediately to Ebola is extremely infectious but not extremely contagious. Ebola does not spread through the air or by three nations, where the disease found the nearest health facility. an easy entry point to the region. 2 water. 5. The body of someone who has died from Ebola is infectious. If someone has died from suspected Ebola, do not wash their body, A week later, it killed the boy’s mother, limit unnecessary handling and alert a health worker immediately. then his 3-year-old sister, then his 6. Avoid eating wild animals especially monkeys, chimpanzees and The Ebola virus kills up to 90 per cent of those who are infected however in the current outbreak the bats. grandmother. All had fever, vomiting 3 mortality rate is only between