Sierra Leone

ASSOCIATED PRESS  by CLARENCE ROY-MACAULAY    April 14, 2015

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone -- Children in Sierra Leone returned to schools on Tuesday after staying at home for nine months because of the Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 10,000 mostly in West Africa.

More than 8,000 schools are to reopen for about 1.8 million students and the government and U.N. children's agency promise to check temperatures regularly and will promote hand washing to discourage the spread of Ebola in the schools.

"This marks a major step in the normalization of life in Sierra Leone," said Roeland Monasch, UNICEF Representative in Sierra Leone. "It is important that all children get into school including those who were out of school before the Ebola outbreak. Education for all is a key part of the recovery process for the country."

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http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/sierra-leone-schools-open-ebola-closed-months-30302393

ALL AFRICA VANGUARD                                         April 11, 2015
FREETOWN -- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that almost half of all Ebola infections in West Africa have been recorded in two districts located in the border region between Sierra Leone and Guinea. Winnie Romeril, WHO Sierra Leone Spokeswoman, said in Freetown efforts were being made to contain the disease in the two worst affected areas of Kambia , western Sierra Leone and Forecariah, eastern Guinea.

"Almost 50 per cent of all Ebola cases in West Africa are currently coming from the region between Kambia and Forecariah," she said. Romeril said the two districts were "the most active areas, adding that investigation was on going in the areas. She said the exercise became necessary because people were still dying at home, adding that there was very high likelihood of infections.

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http://allafrica.com/stories/201504131492.html

BBC by Smitha Mundasad                          April 10, 2015
Many Ebola survivors are likely to face further health issues including eye and joint problems, the World Health Organization has warned....

Officials announced they are attempting to set up clinics in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to monitor the health consequences Ebola survivors face.

Patients have reported problems with their vision, joints and on-going fatigue.

But Dr Bruce Aylward, assistant director general of the WHO, admitted not much was known about the long-term implications of the virus.

He said the information gathered at these clinics would help the mental and physical health needs of people recovering from the disease.

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http://www.bbc.com/news/health-32250515

BOSTON HERALD by Lindsay Kalter                                                                   April 9, 2015

 A volunteer from Boston-based nonprofit Partners in Health who was sickened with Ebola while volunteering in Sierra Leone last month has been released from the hospital and deemed Ebola-free, according to the organization.

“We’re heartened by the news that our colleague is heading home, free of Ebola, and making his way toward a full recovery,” said Sheila Davis, chief of Ebola response for PIH. “His commitment to strengthening the quality of health care in some of the world’s poorest communities is something we should all be proud of."

The worker, whose name has not been released, was admitted to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., March 13 in serious condition. He recently underwent two consecutive tests to confirm that he was indeed rid of the virus.

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https://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/herald_bulldog/2015/04/partners_in_health_clinician_declared_ebola_free