Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
-
The total number of deaths attributed to EVD in West Africa surpassed 9,300 in recent days, according to WHO.
-
Health actors in Margibi County, Liberia, recently reported a confirmed case of EVD, marking the first case in the county since December and the first case outside of Montserrado County since January.
-
On February 16, the Government of Liberia (GoL) reopened schools, and students attended classes for the first time since August. The GoL originally closed schools as a result of the sharp increase in EVD cases.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
-
On February 15, government leaders of the Manu River Union (MRU)—a regional association that includes Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone—met in Guinea’s capital city of Conakry to discuss the ongoing West Africa EVD outbreak response. Each country announced a goal of reaching zero new EVD infections within 60 days— approximately mid-April—and appealed to international response actors to provide the necessary support to reach the objective. The new 60-day plan synchronizes affected countries’ timelines and represents a shift from the original “60 Days to Zero” initiative launched in December to reach zero EVD cases by the end of February. During the meeting,
MRU members approved a framework for improved infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, surveillance activities, cross-border collaboration, and social mobilization and community engagement across the region. -
Liberia’s Assistant Minister of Health and Head of the Liberian Incident Management System (IMS) Tolbert Nyenswah recently met with members of CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and USAID on February 13 in Washington, D.C. Assistant Minister Nyenswah acknowledged and thanked the USG for its ongoing support during the EVD outbreak and provided insights from the IMS on the current situation.
USG Response to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa Last Updated 02/18/15