Report reaching Voinjama says there is an outbreak of the Ebola Virus in Kolahun district (the largest district in Lofa). Two towns hit by the outbreak are Papolahun and Nykoitahun with 5 persons reported dead over the past few days with over 25 suspected and probable cases in the both towns. These towns are predominantly Muslim communities dominated by the Gbandi tribe (one of the 16 tribes in Liberia). These towns amongst some of the last denial towns in Lofa regarding the existence of the Ebola Virus and that it kills. These towns have not reported any case of the Ebola Virus since the outbreak in Lofa sometime in May 2014. And with this outbreak; mean Lofans are again bracing themselves for another fight in the eradication of the Ebola Virus only because people continue to deny that Ebola is in Lofa and it kills a health worker told me. Popalahun town specifically, is the hometown of the superintendent of Lofa county George Dunor and, the town where ambulance belonging to the Lofa Health Team was attacked and damaged by some angry residence who blamed Health workers of spreading the Ebola virus in their towns and communities. Their actions prompted the withdrawer of Samaritan Purse and other health workers from the area for security concerns. Now that they are calling on the Health Team to come to their aid to save lives, and have accepted the fact that Ebola is in Lofa and it kills, it’s a welcoming development and a game changer in the fight against the Ebola Virus, said a Health worker. For Voinjama, Quadu Gboni and Foya districts and its surrounding towns have being very calmed for the past 5 days with no reports of any death or new case of the Ebola virus. Barkedu in the Quadu Gboni district, the epic center of Ebola in Lofa, is gradually returning to normality with no report of death or any new case of the virus. Voinjama city which was reek by the Ebola outbreak a week ago with 38 in three days, the highest death toll since the outbreak of the Ebola Virus in Lofa in May 2014, is also becoming normal as where, with no death or new case reported. According to health workers, everything possible is being done to make sure that no suspected or probable person of the Ebola virus remain in the community once the Health Team is inform. Leaving a person to died in the community poses a very serious problem in the fight against the Ebola virus; promising that, if this normality continue in Voinjama, Quadu Gboni and Foya districts as whereas other districts (with the exception of Kolahun), in the next one week or two to come, the residence of these districts will begin to smile again and start mourning their love one friends and families who didn’t make it in the fight. This can only be possible, a health worker emphasized, with the cooperation of the residence to report sick people to the health center as early as possible. From what I can see, I am of the strongest conviction that the massage about the Ebola Virus is now being accepted, but there are stall critical issues to deal with specially logistics and men power. I believe if the Health Team in Lofa is given more support, they will continue the fight to the end. The picture show Ambulance damaged by some residence of Papolahun town over three weeks now. Thank you but remember: WE ARE FIGHTING TOGETHER.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 17:04:47 +0000
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