Presentation

An epidemiologist from Uganda, Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza known as ‘KORNYA’ meaning in Mende tribe female warrior was the brain behind the successes against the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Kenema district and other parts of the country.
Dr. Monica once again paid visit to Kenema district on Saturday, 2nd April 2016 together with her husband, Dr. Michael Masanza to reflect on her work in the Ebola Task Force team that was set up in Kenema district during the fight to contain the Ebola outbreak in the district.
Meeting with stakeholders in Kenema at the office of the Mayor of Kenema City Council, all present rained words of praises on Dr. Monica and family for allowing her to come to Sierra Leone to help Sierra Leonean during the Ebola crisis.
Making statement Augustine Sannoh regional chairman civil society organization says while in Ghana he received called from Dr. Monica that her husband is on her way to Sierra Leone particularly Kenema to see the team she worked with during the Ebola fight in the country.

The World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund spring meetings kick off on Tuesday, once again filling the bank’s Washington, D.C., headquarters with development professionals, policymakers, economists, advocates and a slew of other influential leaders seeking to shape the future of global development.

In many African societies, traditional healers are solicited for many reasons. They are called healers or witch doctors for their talents in hunting evil spells and for their mastery of medicinal plants. They are listened to and respected by communities who have full confidence and trust in their skills. It is how these men and women earn a living.

During the Ebola epidemic response, traditional healers were quickly identified as key actors to help raise awareness about the disease in communities, particularly in remote areas where they maintain close relationships with the people they serve.

Doumbouya Idrissa is a traditional healer and President of the Traditional Healers Network of the Lower Guinea region in Guinea. Known as Simbo, which means “strong man” in Sussu, one of the local languages, he played a key role in the mobilization of traditional healers and their commitment to help end the outbreak through the sharing of knowledge on symptoms and preventive measures.

Community engagement helped turn the tide of Ebola, and will be critical in combatting this latest outbreak.

This is no secret. Getting trusted community members, religious leaders, and local media on board increased adoption of difficult, often alien preventive behaviors like safe burials, which ultimately helped stop the spread of the disease.

But there’s a broader lesson here. If we are to prevent future epidemics, communities need to remain actively engaged in efforts to strengthen the health sector.