Major Gaps Persist in West African Battle Against Ebola Virus

VOICE OF AMERICA                              Nov. 12, 2014

By Kim Lewis                            

Doctors Without Borders  (MSF) says there have been slight improvements in the Ebola situation in Liberia and Guinea. However, Sierra Leone has experienced a big surge in reported cases throughout the country in recent weeks.

The group released an update on their assessment of the Ebola crisis in the three countries with reports of gains and losses. 

“I think we can see the most improvements in Liberia,” said MSF spokesman James Kambaki. MSF has large isolation center in the country and is distributing an estimated 300,000 protection kits – gloves, masks and chlorine as a disinfectant - to the public. “Besides that, MSF has also done a mass malaria prophylactic prevention to try and ease up the burden of other illnesses so that you can concentrate on Ebola.”

Kambaki said the prevention measures appear to be helping, but MSF is investigating a recent drop in numbers being admitted to their Ebola isolation centers.

Another troubling trend he reports is more difficulty in getting public transportation for potential patients. “Most of the taxi drivers who have been bringing patients to the hospital have also been infected and some of them have died. So, the numbers of public transport that use to bring patients to facilities has reduced as well.”o.

Kambaki said the international response in Sierra Leone has been slow and is not well coordinated. “I think the government response has been hampered by also by the lack of resources and coordination, both at the national and district levels.

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