Tuesday 28 April 2015

Ebola vaccine test successful

Hyderabad: A preliminary vaccine for Ebola has been created by Ella Foundation of Bharat Biotech. The vaccine made from adenovirus and glycoprotein was tested on mice and the results were good.
Dr Krishna Ella of Ella Foundation said, “This preliminary vaccine needs to be further tested and has to undergo clinical trials. As the Foundation does not have the required expertise, we want the Centre or scientific institutions to take it up. Ebola is a deadly disease which spreads through contact. It has not yet hit the Indian shores.
The US and European countries had been trying to develop a vaccine. But there has been no breakthroughs so far. Whether this preliminary vaccine will be successful in tests is a big question. Although regarded as a good model, its future depends on how it works on laboratory animals like monkeys. 

Vodafone supports Ebola call centre

The Vodafone Ghana Foundation is set to collaborate with Ghana Health Services (GHS) and Vantage Medical Solutions, with support from World Health Organisation (WHO), to launch a ‘health-worker-to-health worker’ call service regarding Ebola.
According to the company, the call centre will be utilised in order to provide health workers with access to technical advice, guidance, information, and support from trained call centre operators, on  infection, prevention and control measures.
According to Vodafone, 63 health workers will be operating the call centre. These health workers have undergone rigorous training under the guidance of the GHS and WHO. Vodafone Ghana CEO Haris Broumidis said the telecom operator is passionate about health and is proud to provide its mobile technology for the pioneering health initiative. Healthline 255 is the first medical call centre in Ghana and in Africa to offer a health worker-to-health worker advice.
According to, ctifmonline.com, Vodafone Ghana CEO, Mr Haris Broumidis said: “Vodafone is passionate about health and is proud to avail its mobile technology for this pioneering health initiative. Healthline 255 is the first medical call centre in Ghana and in Africa to offer a health worker-to-health worker (HW-to-HW) advise. We believe that communications technologies can be used to address some of the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges; and we will continue to champion initiatives and build partnerships that improve the lives of people within our communities.”
Whilst the number of Ebola cases maybe tapering in West Africa, new cases continue to be reported. As of 15 April, the outbreak, which has persisted for more than a year, has infected 25,826 people and resulted in 10,704 deaths, according to WHO.

“This initiative is a multi-sectoral partnership, deeply cognisant that pandemics. such as Ebola have no boundaries. Ultimately, health is a ‘shared responsibility’ and this partnership illustrates the need to work together using our comparative strengths and resources to fight this pandemic,” added Dr Robalo. This is a multi-sectoral public-private partnership – bringing together government, WHO and the telecommunications sector.

Monday 20 April 2015

Ghana to have infectious disease centre

An infectious disease centre with World Health Organisation (WHO) specifications is to be built in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

The centre will provide services, training and research on infectious diseases, including the Ebola Viral Disease (EVD).

The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, made this known at a symposium on the EVD in Accra, which was organised by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) yesterday.

The symposium was on the theme, “Ebola: Have we gone to sleep?” and was sponsored by the First Atlantic Bank.

Dr Bampoe said the government was in discussions with the World Bank to help finance the building of the centre.

Rationale

He explained that the infectious disease centre formed part of the measures being put in place to ensure that the country was adequately prepared to handle any Ebola eventuality, adding that the country was still on high alert to ensure that no Ebola case entered the country.

Commending the health volunteers who went to Liberia and Sierra Leone to help fight the disease, Dr Bampoe said such volunteerism had helped the country to gain experience in treating the Ebola disease.

The WHO Country Representative, Dr Magda Robalo, who spoke on the international perspective of the EVD, said the outbreak of the disease in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone had provided useful lessons for both the international and local communities.

She pointed out the need for all to take the threat of diseases seriously, stressing the need also for all to invest in health systems.

Dr Robalo called on the country not to be complacent with its surveillance on the disease and underscored the need for investment into the management of diseases, especially those that seemed dormant.

Lessons/recommendations

Sharing lessons learnt from the country’s participation in tackling Ebola in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the Head of the Emergency Department of the Tema General Hospital, Dr Lawrence Ofori-Buadu, said effective communication with health workers, as well as the government, played a major role in tackling the disease in the two countries.

He called for more testing laboratories for Ebola to ensure that people were given prompt attention.

A physician specialist, Dr Joseph Oliver-Commey, in a presentation on ‘Where are we? Our preparedness’, called for the scaling up of the country’s preparedness in the communities and homes.

The President of the GMA, Dr Kwabena Opoku-Adusei, said so long as cases were still being recorded in the affected countries, there was the need for Ghana to be on guard.

WHO official says Ebola remains threat to Ghana



"Ghana's borders are porous. People are now eating bats, a major transmitter of the (Ebola) virus, and are also fond of shaking hands during social events which could easily spread the virus," said WHO country director in Ghana, Magdalene Rabalo, during a forum held by the organization in Accra on Friday.

She told local media the epidemic was far from being over, urging Ghanaians to maintain vigilance and avoid activities that could expose them to Ebola infection.

Ghana's Deputy Health Minister Victor Bampoh gave the assurance that the country was doing everything to prevent the disease.

"The government has cooperated with the World Bank to train more Ghanaian medical personnel to help fight the virus and other deadly diseases," said Bampoh.

The Ebola disease has killed more than 9,500 people in three worst-affected countries, including Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, but recorded a remarkable reduction in the rate of infection in past months.

Wednesday 15 April 2015

Ebola virus found in semen six months after recovery: WHO

The deadliest outbreak of Ebola in history began in late 2013 and has killed more than 10,600 people, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea
.

View photo
The deadliest outbreak of Ebola in history began in late 2013 and has killed more than 10,600 people, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (AFP Photo/Francisco Leong)

Geneva (AFP) - Traces of Ebola have been found in the semen of a man six months after his recovery, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, urging survivors to practice safe sex "until further notice".
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The man had been declared free of the deadly virus in Liberia last September, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told AFP.

"He has provided a semen sample which has tested... positive for Ebola, 175 days after his negative blood test," he said in an email.

The UN health agency had previously said the virus had been detected in semen around three months after a patient had been declared Ebola free.

The new finding has led WHO to recommend that survivors abstain from having sex or that they practice safe sex using a condom beyond the three-month period previously prescribed.

"Ebola survivors should consider correct and consistent use of condoms for all sexual acts beyond three months until more information is available," it says on its website.

Jasarevic said more research was needed before WHO could provide more detailed advice.

"We need to understand better if this particular case is an anomaly or if there really are groups of people who might (carry) parts of the Ebola virus longer," he said.

Until more is known, Ebola survivors should abstain from sex or practice safe sex "until further notice," Bruce Aylward, who heads WHO's Ebola response, told reporters last week.

He said a number of studies were already under way, as well as discussions about whether Ebola survivors should be systematically screened after three months to determine their status.

"We should have answers to allow us to give more definitive advice to survivors very, very quickly," he said.

The deadliest outbreak of Ebola in history began in late 2013 and has killed more than 10,600 people, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Friday 10 April 2015

Health Ministry inspects Tema General Hospital Ebola centre

Officials of the Ministry of Health led by the Deputy Minister Victor Asare Bampoe have visited the newly constructed Ebola medical store and treatment centre at the Tema General hospital.

Barry Callebaut, a Non-Governmental Swiss cocoa processing company, constructed the 15-bed treatment centre and the store estimated at GH?80,000.00.

Mr John Andre, the Managing Director of Barry Callebaut, noted that, when the need was felt in August 2014 to support the Ebola centre, the company and the Swiss Embassy coordinated with the Ministry of Health to raise GH?80,000.00 for the project.

The organization said it was impressed by Ghana’s active participation in tackling Ebola on the ground by sending 42 medical volunteers to both Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Mr Bampoe said although the country has not recorded any positive case of the Ebola Virus Disease, which infected over 20,000 and killed nearly 10,000 in West Africa, the country still needed to take preventive steps.

“Although 138 suspected cases of Ebola have been recorded, tests at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research have all turned negative, we still need to protect ourselves,” he said.

Mr Bampoe said an incident management system has been established to identify, isolate and manage any case of the disease detected in Ghana, and an emergency operations centre. Ghana’s preparedness has three-pillars, consisting Public Education, Point of Entry Screening and Active Community Surveillance, especially at flash points, as well as Case Management and Contact Tracing.

The Deputy Minister assured the public that the Tamale and Kumasi Ebola treatment centres, which are under construction, would be completed soon.

He said the original plan on case management was to have three treatment centres, however, government was now providing additional support to Regional, Teaching and Specialized Hospitals like the 37 Military and Police Hospitals to enable them to manage such cases.

Mr Kwabena Opoku Adusei,the Medical Director of the General hospital said effective infectious disease centres was needed for other infectious diseases such as H5N1, Avium flu, and bird flu.

“We need to prepare adequately for this disease since countries including the United States and Spain unexpectedly reported cases of the disease”, he said.

138 suspected Ebola cases tested in Ghana

A total of 138 suspected Ebola cases have been tested to be negative in Ghana by the Noguchi Memorial Research Institute.

Dr Victor Bampoe, Deputy Minister of Health, who announced this on Thursday, stressed that even though 138 suspected cases were recorded nationwide since the Ebola outbreak, Ghana has not recorded any positive one.

Dr Bampoe said this in a keynote address during the handing over of the Ebola medical stores at Tema General Hospital.

He indicated that even though the country is yet to record any Ebola case, his outfit would continue with its three point measures to ensure the safety of the public.

The measures, he said, include point of entry screening and active surveillance, public education and putting up centres to manage any outbreak.

He said the Ministry faced many challenges during the construction of the Ebola centres and thanked stakeholders for contributing towards their achievements.

Dr Badu Sarkodie, Director of Public Health at Ghana Health Service, said more than 25,000 Ebola cases and 12,000 deaths have been recorded in the sub-region since its outbreak.

Dr Sarkodie noted that even though the situation seemed to have gone down there is the need to sustain vigilance.

Mr John Andre, Managing Director of Barry Callebaut Ghana Limited, a cocoa processing company that financed the medical stores, said the company decided to support the GH? 80,000.00 project as part of its corporate social responsibility.

Mr Andre said the centre has two medical stores for the storage of Ebola personal protective equipment and medicines, offices and washrooms.

He expressed the company's appreciation to the 42 medical volunteers from Ghana for helping the three most affected countries in the West Africa sub-region.

Mr Gerhard Brugger, Ambassador of Switzerland to Ghana, thanked the Swiss company for collaborating with the Ministry to construct the centre.

Mr Brugger said the collaboration was proof of the 130 years corporation between Ghana and Switzerland.

Ebola: Reinforcing Health Systems in Africa

"Ebola has not yet been conquered." This is what Minister of Health Hermann Gröhe said before departing for West Africa. He is visiting the region most affected by Ebola, together with the Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller. A further 200 million euros is to be used for a special aid program.
Using this special aid program, Germany wants to promote health systems and a better crisis response in Africa. Development Minister Müller gave his assurance of this in a newspaper interview.
In their four-day trip to Ghana and Liberia the ministers want to gain information about the reconstruction of those countries which were particularly affected by Ebola. Müller and Gröhe are being accompanied by the German government's Ebola Commissioner, Walter Lindner, along with a delegation of national and international experts.
Initial successes have been achieved
Trip to West Africa
Enlarge image Development Minister Müller, Health Minister Gröhe and the German government's Ebola Commissioner, Walter Lindner, on the way to Ghana (© Photothek / Grabowsky) The international community has set itself a new and complex challenge in the fight against Ebola. Significant successes have been achieved throughout the course of this. The number of cases is continually and consistently declining. The most important challenge is now the transition from humanitarian emergency aid to reconstruction and long-term stabilisation of the affected countries.
By the end of March 2015, around 25,200 diagnosed cases of illness were reported to the World Health Organization. Approximately 10,460 infected people had died by that time. There is reason to fear that the actual number of cases of illness is much higher, however.
Up to now, Germany provided financial assistance of around 195 million EUR to combat Ebola. Logistical support is on top of this. The Federal Armed Forces have transported approximately 700 tonnes of aid items to the affected countries. The Technische Hilfswerk took care of water provision in the treatment centres in Sierra Leone. In addition, many volunteers are and have been providing assistance. The Deutsches Rotes Kreuz was responsible for their training.
German aid geared to the long-term
Enlarge image Employees examine specimens in the Noguchi laboratories of the University of Ghana in Accra. Ghana has not suffered from the Ebola virus but is a logistic base to supply the countries Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea which are affected the strongest. (© picture alliance / dpa) The Federal government will continue its involvement. Germany is one of the few bilateral providers present in all three of the countries most affected by the crisis. The development cooperation from 165 local forces in all three countries will continue. Investments and fast-acting measures in the sectors for health, food security, education and infrastructure are in addition to this.
Examining test specimensGermany is advancing the further development of European and international cooperation. In order to be able to intervene worldwide more quickly in future, a core team of white helmets is to be set up with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), consisting of mobile teams of doctors, technicians and specialists, Federal Development Minister Müller announced.

BBC ACCRA DEBATE ON EBOLA - WHAT NEXT? WHO RUNS A COUNTRY WHEN ITS IN CRISIS

Zeinab Badawi was in Ghana with a panel of decision-makers to discuss: Ebola - what next? Who runs a country when it's in crisis.The panelists were 5 people across the continent of Africa. The debate was held in the great hall of the University of Ghana,Accra.  
The Panelists were:











  • Dr.Moustapha Koutoub Sano-Guinea Minister for internal co-operation.
  • Jan Egeland is a Norwegian politician, formerly of the Labour party. He has been the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council since August 2013. He was previously the Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch and the Director of Human Rights Watch Europe.
  • Arnold Ekpe-Former head of ecobank. Africas largest independent regional banking group.
  • Phumzile Mlambo-Ngucka United Nations Under Secretary -General and Executive
  •  Leymah Gbowee who is Peace activist, women's rights advocate, mother of six, founder of Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa and 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate

The debate begun around 6 o’clock GMT. The main question was “After Ebola what next”.
Zinab asked if Ebola could have been prevented. Most of the panellists agreed it wasn't preventable but it could have been managed better because the number of people who died were too much.


 The distinguished writer Ama Atta Aidoo asked the first question ’ Why do locals look up to the International bodies when faced with an Ebola crises?  Can’t locals solve the issue themselves? International development, budgetary support have all become euphemisms of how we depend on the international community' she added.

The Panelists took this up and it was made clear that the international community has much more power to address and help with crises than the local people hence the local people look up to the international bodies. Zainab quoted from Margaret Chan the head of the world health organization ' I believe in self reliance, invest in your people  for results its difficult to rely on outside help all the time.Why cant we Africans help ourselves'

Leymah Gbowee  thought that Guinea rushing to the international community for help was ironic because they had enough money to buy flashy cars for Politicians in the country. The lack of governments to share their tiny sovereignty to create regional good like strong health system is also a problem.

The Panelist also hammered on the fact that African countries spend less than 10% of their Gdp on Health, Ebola is therefore a symptom of failed economic practice, There is nothing wrong with developing yourself  as a country and asking for help from the International bodies.

We have to avoid the fear factor which paralysed people which prevented good acts from different people,We also need to build local capacity so we can take up on the next crisis.We have gone through a lot. Borders were closed and stigmatization was high.We have to go in for integrated health systems so we can control things, Ebola is more than a health issue, its more of a social,educational and cultural problems. In the next  10 years, who is going to take care of these 10,000 orphans in Africa.Just as we have mobilized to end Ebola we should mobilize and take care of these children ebola has made orphans. The panelists concluded



Wednesday 1 April 2015

Gov’t commends Ghanaian medical volunteers

The government has commended the team of medical volunteers who were dispatched from the country to assist during the peak of the outbreak of the Ebola viral disease in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The 42 man-team, made up of doctors and nurses and other paramedical personnel, completed a four months medical spell in the two Ebola affected countries and are back safely in Ghana.

Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur in an interaction with the medical volunteers at the Flagstaff House, praised the team members for helping to raise the flag of Ghana high.

He said the team by their action have shown that the African is capable of intervening in an in African problem, solving it, and not wait for the international Non-governmental organisations.

He urged the team to share their experiences with their colleagues back home and the things that the people must do to prevent them from contracting the disease.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said in June last years when the disease was at its peak, Ghana offered its territory as the staging post for the UN medical emergency team as well as personnel from Europe, America and Asia for providing support to the Ebola affected countries.

He said people have praised Ghana for allowing her country to be used as the hub to assist the various international emergency teams.

He said very few people knew that 42 health specialist had left for Liberia and Sierra Leone at a considerable risk to their own lives to help stop the Ebola from reaching Ghana.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur also commended the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) for helping to prepare the medical volunteers for the task.

The Vice President said he had been informed that the medical procedures that the Ghanaian team adopted helped to increase the survival rate of the Ebola patients.

Mr Augustine Sagoe, Leader of the delegation also commended the volunteers for their dedication to work.

He said since the epidemic started, about 840 medical personnel from the affected countries were infected by the Ebola disease and 490 of them had died.

He was glad the 42 Ghanaian medical volunteers who went to Liberia and Sierra Leone were back home safely.

Her Excellency Dr. Ocansey Unmasks Ebola Impact!

Diasporan African leader and renowned philanthropist,
Her Excellency Rev. Dr. Ocansey, delivered a powerful keynote address unmasking the impact
of the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Speaking at the University of Alberta-Canada’s maiden Ebola Symposium, Her Excellency indicated that the virus spread rapidly due to a ‘mistaken identity in a very weak health care system'.

‘Unlike Malaria and Lassa fever, Ebola broke the innate human contact system, leaving mothers to watch their babies die without being able to hold them!’ said Dr.Ocansey ‘By the time Ebola was fully diagnosed, the 'wolf' which came to town in 'sheep’s clothing' had infected many people, especially healthcare workers, who unknowingly treated the early cases like malaria or lassa with the lack of knowledge nor equipment for the strict ebola protocols, causing an unprecedented radical outbreak!’ said Dr. Ocansey, who is Chairperson of the rural African Nekotech Center of Excellence in Ghana, the Canadian Ebola Transfer2Transform Chimp Charity as well as the US-Africa Ebola Working Group, in DC.

The Symposium’s panel discussion brought together experts for a highly informative session on the Ebola tragedy in the three West African countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Dr. James Talbot, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, said the Province is well prepared to deal with any patient who may be infected with Ebola. ‘Anything that is required to improve the safety of the people in Alberta – patients, staff – we will do’, said Dr. James Talbot.

Alberta University’s Music Professor, Michael Frishkopf, who has been working on an interesting project – ‘Music for Ebola Education and Behavioural Change’ made a presentation with three popular Liberian Musicians – Samuel Morgan (aka Shadow), Edwin Tweh (aka D-12) and Mark Gray (aka Kuzzy of 2Kings). Michael, who has been working with local musicians in Liberia as well as in Northern Ghana, said music has untapped power which can have a major impact in creating accelerated awareness to save many lives.

Dr. Stan Houston, a Professor at the University of Alberta, gave a detailed presentation on ‘Ebola 101’, giving the full genesis of Ebola, which dates back to 1967, when the virus was first identified in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo –DRC).

A very vivid presentation came from an Ebola front-line worker, Stephanie Urness, a nurse from MSF who worked in West Africa, treating Ebola patients. Stephanie described the anguish of friends and family when she decided to go to West Africa to assist with Ebola. She presented an alarming first hand experience of working on the front-lines as a healthcare worker coming face to face with Ebola.

Dr. Geoff Taylor, an HIV/AIDS expert from the University of Alberta, who had previously spent time on HIV/AIDS in Uganda, discussed hospital preparedness in Alberta for Ebola. Alberta has had a few Ebola scares, fortunately each case turned out negative for Ebola.

Dr. Duncan Saunders, a Medical Professor at the University of Alberta, said Alberta hospitals have taken all the necessary steps to deal with Ebola.

After a heated panel discussion on Canada’s, Alberta’s and the University’s role in Ebola Control, students made comments that Africans needed to take the leadership role, to empower the International community to play a supporting role.

Symposium attendees expressed their appreciation in seeing West Africans- musicians and a prominent West African leader, H.E. Rev. Dr. Ocansey, taking leadership roles in Ebola advocacy. As Chairperson of Nekotech Center's Canadian Chimp Charity- Transfer2Transform, Her Excellency is championing an international Virtual Viral Teaching Hospital to enable international experts to share their expertise without having to travel to West Africa.

'For lack of knowledge, my people perish,'said Dr. Ocansey. 'This virtual viral teaching hospital has been put together in partnership with eZ-Xpo, a US based game-changing virtual expo platform developer, which will enable a cost effective knowledge transfer to West Africa, to support the Government's efforts to strengthen our health care system,' said Dr. Ocansey.

'Ebola is a symptom of a larger problem,'said Dr. Ocansey. 'We sorely need to establish a healthcare system that can effectively manage a strong health surveillance system (HSS) and efficiently conduct an infection control and prevention (ICP) program on a daily basis. This will enable us to expediently detect and implement a rapid response to put any epidemic in check, be it Ebola, HIV, Cholera or any other in the future,' said Dr. Ocansey.

In the US, Dr. Ocansey chairs the US-Africa Ebola Working Group, a high powered Washington DC advocacy group whose Executive Director, Ms. Ellen Dunbar, is a visionary Liberian leader in Washington DC – under the leadership of Joel Segal, a renowned transformational Capitol Hill activist. Made up of top Capitol Hill leaders and seasoned White House Advocacy activists, the US-Africa Ebola Working Group has been actively lobbying the US Congress to release the promised $6.8 billion towards the Ebola war, with a Post Ebola plan of Universal healthcare for Africa. Shadow, D-12 and Kuzzy have been very effective in using their music internationally – both in Canada and the USA- to bring awareness and to advocate for support.

‘Complacency will cost us more lives!' warned Her Excellency. 'Let's put all hands on deck, harmonize the best practices and lessons learned and let's Crush Ebola for good!

Symposium attendees gave highly positive feedback on the symposium: ‘The content and presentations were very powerful, well organised, expertly delivered - I will surely participate in crushing Ebola for good!’ said a medical student from the University.