Up-to-date: Ebola Kills At Least 84 Persons In Liberia

As of this week, cumulative cases of the deadly Ebola virus (confirmed, probable, and suspected has hit one hundred thirty-four (134) including 64 confirmed cases, bringing the total death toll up to date to about 84 in Liberia.

According to the Assistant Minister for Preventive Services at the Ministry of Heath and Social Welfare, the Ebola situation remains volatile in Liberia with a fatality rate put at 69.1 percent, thus calling for the full support of the communities, religious and traditional leaders in the nation.

Addressing journalists Thursday at the regular press briefing of the Ministry of Information, Mr. Tolbert Nyenswah told reporters that about 10 Ebola survivors from Montserrado and Lofa Counties have been reintegrated into their respective communities after successfully completing 21 days in isolation.

Mr. Nyenswah: “We provided support and counseling for 22 families and these are survivors that their family men died or affected from Ebola that our giving support to. And we distributed survivor’s kits including rice, oil, mattresses, soap, plastic buckets and blankets to their homes."

"We continue to receive both material and logistical supports and experts from our international partners, including WHO, USAID, the Center for Disease Control, MSF Samaritan Purse. Yesterday, we received eight experts that arrived in Liberia to support our own local expert to fight the disease.”

Mr. Nyenswah went on to clarify that not everyone suspected of Ebola is placed in an isolation room, but heath facilities have been mandated to hold suspected patients in what he called ‘holding room’ until they are tested positive and confirmed. The Ministry of Health official has meanwhile disclosed that a budget of 1.5 million dollars has been prepared in line with the Ebola response plan.

Continued Nyenswah: “The 1.5 million dollars includes running the vehicles in the streets, psychosocial support, survivor’s kits to patients, case management team to run four isolation units in the country, material cost to run the reference laboratory that is carrying out 24 hour testing, providing personal protective equipment.”