Ebola: Sierra Leone identifies gaps in health preparedness
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sierraloaded
Sierra Leonean health authorities have identified gaps in the country’s preparedness for a possible Ebola outbreak, particularly in hospital isolation, ambulances and emergency coordination. A meeting at the National Public Health Agency’s headquarters in Wilberforce called for stronger capacity and community mobilisation, reports Sierraloaded; no cases had been confirmed at the time.
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health, through the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), has identified gaps in the country’s preparedness for a possible Ebola outbreak. The assessment was presented at a meeting at the agency’s headquarters in Wilberforce, reports Sierra Leonean news outlet Sierraloaded.
Participants examined emergency coordination, hospital isolation capacity, infection prevention, ambulances, protective equipment, safe burials and contact tracing. They called for response systems to be made operational, the state of hospital preparedness to be assessed, and local leaders and communities to be mobilised.
No Ebola cases had been confirmed in Sierra Leone at the time of the meeting. The Ministry and the NPHA called on the institutions concerned to act quickly to address the gaps and ensure that the necessary supplies were available.
