30 June 2014, Freetown -- On 30 June 2014 four patients were discharged from the Ebola treatments centres bringing the number of discharged patients to 23.

The first to be discharged from the Ebola treatment centre is Victoria Yillia a 19 year old lady from Koindu Town in the Kailahun district. Quoting from her statement she said “I felt like I am in heaven when I was discharged”. She is now living in nearby Kenema district with her husband and mother in law.

Other patients have been discharged and are recuperating in their homes. A village chief from one of the worst affected villages in the Jawie chiefdom Kailahun district who was discharged together with his wife was involved in giving testimony to community members in the house of the Paramount chief of Jawie chiefdom.

The discharge package includes money for transportation to their communities, clothing and food items.

This is the first time Ebola Disease outbreak has occurred in the country leading to denial and panic. There are so many myths and misconceptions around the treatment and control of the Ebola Virus Disease in the Kailahun and neighboring districts bordering Liberia and Guinea. These misconceptions must be corrected and people from the affected communities need  to accept that Ebola is the cause of the unusual morbidity and mortality. The entire UN family (World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNFPA) MSF, Red Cross and other partners are supporting the communication of key messages through radio discussions, dissemination of jingles, posters and fact sheets.

Key stakeholders including traditional leaders and politicians are being mobilized. Furthermore Community Health Workers have been trained to conduct house to house and village to village sensitization. A better understanding of the disease and involvement of members of the community in the prevention and control of the outbreak is hoped to improve early case reporting  and thus increase the number of people discharged from treatment centres.

 Discharged Patient First Patient Discharge From The Ebola Treatment Centre Posing With Husband HPO Discussing With Victoria Yillea

_______________________________________

For more information contact

Aminata Grace Kobie

Health Promotion Officer

WHO Sierra Leone

Tel:23276723236