Health

Liberia is expected to be declared free of Ebola Thursday by the World Health Organization (WHO), effectively ending the outbreak in West Africa that has killed more than 11,000 people in the past two years.

Sierra Leone and Guinea, the two other West African nations affected by the epidemic, were declared free of the disease in November and December, respectively, last year.

Two previous attempts to declare Liberia free of the virus ended when infections re-emerged.

International support praised

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said Wednesday the end of Ebola transmission in West Africa is a testament to what can be achieved when the international community works alongside national governments in caring for their people. 

Ban also called on the world to make good on its pledges to care for the more than 10,000 Ebola survivors.

However, Ban and WHO Director Margaret Chan warned Wednesday that the region could still see flare-ups of the virus.

Tolbert Nyenswah, Liberia’s deputy minister of health for public health and head of the country’s Ebola response, said despite the global concern, Liberia has the resiliency and capacity to contain any resurgence of the virus.

“We’ve shown in Liberia that the health care system has the human resource capacity, infection prevention and control capacity, health care workers are vigilant, and response workers are vigilant. So if there is any flare-up of the Ebola virus disease, we can jump on it quickly, do the test within 24 hours, isolate the cases, and reduce secondary infection,” Nyenswah said.

Response strategy

He said the country has developed a three-point response strategy to contain the spread of the virus, including testing bodies of Ebola victims and continued testing of survivors.

During a speech to the United Nations last September, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf thanked the international community and its contributions to Liberia during the Ebola outbreak.

"We remain grateful to all of you for the outpouring of support and assistance as we faced down the deadly Ebola virus disease, the greatest modern threat to global public health," Sirleaf said in her address to the United Nations General Assembly.

She said the response exemplified the capacity of the U.N. to respond to threats to collective threats to humanity.

(VOA)

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Ngwa Bertrand

13.Jan.2016

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Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that more than 2, 000 million people alive worldwide today have been infected with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) at some time in their lives. Of this, about 350 million remain infected chronically and become carriers of the virus. WHO further estimates that about three per cent of the world’s population has been infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and that there are more than 170-180 million chronic carriers, who are at risk of developing liver cirrhosis and/or liver cancer. The situation in Cameroon seems worrisome as national statistics reveal that the prevalence rate of hepatitis virus in the country stands at 11.9 per cent with two million Cameroonians exposed to HBV and 2,000 infected with HCV.

While government is making strides to reduce the cost in treating these deadly and costly viral diseases, health experts say the population should be conscious against these diseases. A Public Health specialist in Yaounde, Dr Jude Ngu Achidi, says hepatitis B and C are the most dangerous amongst the viral disease which greatly affect the liver causing cancer. HBV, doctors say, is transmitted when blood, semen, or any other body fluid from a person infected with the Hepatitis B virus get in contact with the body fluid of someone who is not infected. This can happen through sexual intercourse, sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment, or from mother to child at birth.

Dr Ngu Achidi stressed that Hepatitis B is not spread through food, water, or casual contact. Health personnel explain that for some people hepatitis B is an acute, or short-term, illness but for others, it can become a long-term, chronic infection. Symptoms of HBV may include fever, a flu-like illness and joint pains. Hepatitis B can be prevented through vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis. HBV risk can also be reduced by avoiding unprotected sex, contaminated needles and other sources of infection. Hepatitis C which is also a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis infection, ranging in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.

Experts say the most common modes of infection are through unsafe injection practices; inadequate sterilization of medical equipment; and the transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products. Medically, it is revealed that although HBV and HCV might have similar modes of infection at some point, HCV is more contagious. Antiviral medicines can cure persons with hepatitis C infection, thereby reducing the risk of death from liver cancer and cirrhosis, but access to diagnosis and treatment is low because of the cost. Currently there is no vaccine for hepatitis C.

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Ngwa Bertrand

12.Jan.2016

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FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE—

Sierra Leone has been Ebola-free for two months. While the situation has improved in some ways, many Ebola survivors say they are not getting enough help to rebuild their lives.

Ebola survivors discussed their frustrations recently at a meeting of the Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors in Freetown, the country’s capital.

Each survivor was entitled to a discharge package after recovery. This was to include a bag of rice, a foam mattress and some cash, equal to about $70.

However, some said they were still waiting for that package. Others said it came very late.

Massah Stevens, a nurse who caught Ebola from a patient while working in a treatment center, said she did not get her discharge package until 10 months after her release. She said she managed because her husband could help out, but not all survivors have that luxury.

“They have lost their parents. They have lost their mother, father,” she said.

The Ministry of Social Welfare and Gender and Children Affairs is responsible for the packages. Tina Davies, who directs Ebola survivor activities within the ministry, admitted that some discharge packages had been delayed. This was because Ebola treatment units did not inform the ministry fast enough that survivors had been discharged, she said.

Davies said most survivors had received their packages by now.

Too little, some say

Still, survivors like Yusif Koroma said the supplies weren't nearly enough compensation for what he had gone through.

“The family is vulnerable. I won’t eat that bag of rice alone; I have to share,”  Koroma said.

More help is needed, survivors said — and fast.  

Davies said more help would be coming through a specific program for Ebola survivors. Now that the country is Ebola-free, she said, the ministry can focus more on issues of survivors.

The government is looking at a long-term program for survivors that gives them scholarships, skills training and startup kits for businesses.

Davies added that survivors can go to health clinics for continued treatment of medical issues.

Survivors have received psychological counseling as well as their discharge packages, so "it’s not like nothing is happening," she said. "I think it’s that cultural aspect, that people want cash in their hands, but we’re trying to provide services that are sustainable for survivors. You get livelihood skills [and] support them through education, to empower them.”

Davies said she could understand the frustration that arises when things are not moving as quickly as survivors would like, but she insisted that Ebola survivors were a priority for Sierra Leone and that they would not be forgotten.

(VOA)

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Ngwa Bertrand

09.Jan.2016

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A 29-old-youth military officer, Mr Excellent Okpako Akevwighome, recently slummed and died while leading a choir ministration in his church, Christ Gospel Church, in Edjeketa community, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State.

He was said to have slummed and died almost immediately midway into the vigil while leading the choristers in a song according to reports by Nigerian Vangaurd Newspaper.

An eye witness said when he fell, he was thought to be under the influence of Holy Spirit, but after waiting for about 20 minutes and he was not getting up, some of the choristers tried to help him up only to find out that he was already dead, at exactly 11.30pm of that day.

The Pastor of the church, Pastor Peter Akpovwera, expressed shock at the incident, saying “the brother was a faithful worshipper but lost his life to the cold hand of death even in the church.”

His younger brother, Mr Godday Akevwighome, said the victim was serving in Anambra state as at the time of his untimely death.

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Ngwa Bertrand

07.Jan.2016

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Gloria Ashuntantang, Associate Professor of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde 1, talks on government's efforts to handle the increasing number of patients on dialysis. She had this thought provoking conversation with Cameroon Tribune

Cameroon Tribune: What explains the fact that the number of patients on dialysis in Cameroon has doubled in two years?

Gloria Ashutantang: In December 2012, we had about 390 patients on dialysis. By December 2013, the number had risen to 920 patients. Two things are responsible for this. The most important is the creation in December 2007 by President Paul Biya of dialysis centres in each region. Today, we have nine government centres already, with the Adamawa and West Regions still to have their own dialysis centres. So it makes access easier. Also, dialysis is subsidised in Cameroon. Dialysis costs about 100,000 FCFA per session and these patients do it two or three times a week. But the government pays most of the cost and patients only spend 5,000 FCFA.

Access to dialysis has increased and we might only say that many people who had kidney failure were dying because they could not afford the 75,000 FCFA per patient at the time. Secondly, the number of people with kidney problems is increasing all over the world. This is due to diabetes, the increase in the use of un-prescribed drugs, which people call ‘natural drugs’, food supplements, etc. Also, HIV is an important cause of kidney disease, but the good news is that with antiretroviral treatment, cases of kidney failure from HIV are decreasing.

Cameroon Tribune:How are dialysis centres in the country coping with the sudden increase in the number of patients? 

Gloria Ashutantang:These centres, even though they are situated in hospitals, have separate budgets. The budget for dialysis increases each year to cope with the growing number of patients. Patients from time to time go on strike because of shortage of dialysis material, which are not available locally. Sometimes, it is the result of delays in imports. However, Cameroon is one of the few countries to subsidise dialysis.

In neighbouring Nigeria and other countries, dialysis is all paid for by patients such that most patients don’t spend up to three months on treatment. But in Cameroon, we have patients who have been on dialysis for 10, 15 and even 20 years. The cost is high no doubt, but we must appreciate government’s efforts in reducing it. What is left for us is to cope with the increasing number of patients.

Cameroon Tribune How long can a patient on dialysis live?

Gloria Ashutantang:The truth is that people on dialysis have a higher chance of dying than those who are not. The longest survivor in the world was on dialysis for 45 years. In Cameroon, the longest survivor was on it for 21 years. So, patients can live as long as possible, depending on several factors. The kidney has many functions. The main one is the elimination of waste, but it also partakes in the production of blood, Vitamin D, calcium, etc. Dialysis corrects only the elimination of waste. So, patients have to take medications separately to avoid anaemia and Vitamin D deficiency.

Government only subsidises dialysis and not the other treatments. As a result, many dialysis patients have anaemia because the medication per week costs FCFA 15,000. They die of anaemia and complications linked to kidney disease and not dialysis per se. Many people in Cameroon say dialysis kills. This is not true. If you are on dialysis because you have HIV, you can die of it. If you have chronic kidney problems because of diabetes, you can die of diabetes. Those on dialysis who can’t afford medicine for anaemia you can die of it. So, dialysis per se doesn’t kill.

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Ngwa Bertrand

06.Jan.2016

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the end of Ebola in Guinea where more than 2,500 people have died from the virus over the past two years. On Tuesday, Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO regional director for Africa, in a statement commended the Guinean people and government for showing "extraordinary leadership in fighting the epidemic." "I commend the governments, communities and partners for their determination in confronting this epidemic," media outlets quoted Moeti as saying, adding, "As we work towards building resilient health care systems, we need to stay vigilant to ensure that we rapidly stop any new flares that may come up in 2016." The health organization also noted that the West African country would enter a 90-day period of heightened surveillance.

Meanwhile, people in the capital, Conakry, have greeted the announcement with mixed emotions given the damage the virus did to the country's health, education sectors and economy. Fanta Oulen Camara, who works for Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), told Reuters that several of his relatives were infected and lost their lives. "Several of my family are dead. This situation has shown us how much we must fight for those who are survivors," Camara said, adding, "After I got better, the hardest thing was to make people welcome me. Most people that normally supported me abandoned me.

Even the school where I was an instructor dropped me. It was very hard." Rene Migliani, an official at the national coordination center for the fight against Ebola, has said that the epidemic has orphaned nearly 6,200 children across the African nation. In December 2013, the world's worst outbreak of the disease began in Guinea before spreading to Liberia, Sierra Leone and seven other countries.

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Ngwa Bertrand

30.Dec.2015

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