Sierra Leone: A bit of background

There is no denying Sierra Leone has had a tough past. Having not long established peace following a ten year civil war followed by years of UN peace-keeping and overseeing of elections, in July 2014 a state of emergency was declared in response to the latest Ebola outbreak in West Africa. For the past 8 months schools, cinemas, nightclubs and football grounds have been closed. Gatherings of more than 5 people have been banned (except for church) and a curfew has seen shops have restricted opening times and no-one permitted on the streets after 10pm. Hand shakes and hugs are forbidden, temperatures are checked and buckets of chlorine are found everywhere for hand sanitisation. A journey from Freetown to Kailahun where the first cases of Ebola were reported has increased from 5 to 7 hours due to the 14 mandatory temperature checkpoints along the way.

The healthcare system has buckled under the pressure. Eleven Sierra Leonian doctors have died of Ebola since the start of the outbreak. Since November 2014 the figures on nurse fatalities are no longer being recorded due to the high number. Hospitals have closed due to lack of staff and many of the ones that remain open have cancelled operations and are not accepting suspected Ebola patients. Holding centres and ETC's (Ebola treatment centres) have opened to support the healthcare system by providing 1,207 beds in 23 ETC's around the country. Save the Children's ETC in Kerrytown where I am based is one of them.

The Western area of Sierra Leone which includes the capital Freetown and Kerrytown has become the hotspot for new Ebola cases. Last week, 31 houses in Freetown were under quarantine by armed guards with family members of confirmed patients no longer allowed out of their homes. Being quarantined is not often welcomed.  Sometimes food runs out and no-one brings more. To avoid their families being stigmatised by the local community some patients arrive at the ETC's providing false addresses to protect those left behind.

But maybe the tide has turned. Yesterday there were 7 new Ebola cases in Sierra Leone down from 111 at the peak on November 9th 2014.

Until January 21st 2015:  7,923 confirmed cases and 2,788 deaths.