By Jenneh Braima
Chairman of the media communications committee on the Presidential Taskforce on Ebola says 21, 000 volunteers for the 3-day lockdown of the country will be trained in the fight against Ebola.
Ibrahim Ben Kargbo told journalists in Freetown yesterday that the volunteers would be trained to undertake the neighbourhood search and report all suspected cases of Ebola.
“The volunteers will share hand-washing materials and also educate residents on simple Ebola prevention hygiene practices,” he said, adding that during the lockdown every home would be marked with a sticker carrying Ebola messages and contact numbers.
Kargbo, who doubles as special adviser to the president, said government’s strategy in the Ebola fight was "robust". He said the reasons given by the health ministry to lock the country down were “that sick persons are still not reporting to health centres out of fear. They are being treated at home by friends and families.”
He said it had been observed that those practices were helping to spread the virus.
He thanked local and international partners for their help in the Ebola fight, and called on such international bodies as the UN to continue with their "renewed" commitments to the country, especially at "such difficult moments".
(C) Politico, 11/09/14
