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. 

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
.

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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.

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

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.

Germany 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

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.

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Conducting prevention activities assiduously

In addition to supporting the Noguchi Institute, JICA together with the Ghanaian Health Service, a governmental agency of the Ministry of Health, is supporting and promoting the “National Preparedness and Response Plan for Prevention and Control of Ebola viral Disease in Ghana.” To begin with, JICA supported the production of printed materials such as posters and leafletss to educate residents to properly prevent Ebola infection without panicking. And Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers are conducting onsite prevention activities using printed materials.

JICA also provided 128 Japanese-made non-contact thermometers (a device that can be used without touching the skin). These non-contact thermometers contributed not only to border Ebola prevention, but also to regions where no Ebola cases had been found and no sense of danger was felt.

“It is also contributing to the safety of health officers at the port and medical staff who work on the frontline, screening people to prevent Ebola from entering Ghana,” said Erasmus Agongo, doctor, director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Ghana Health Service.

Furthermore, JICA partially supported the trainings dubbed: “Ebola Case Management Training,” prepared by the Ghana Health Service, targeting Ebola regional response teams throughout the country.

The person in charge of the training, Gertrude Avotri, a Programme Officer of the Institutional Care Division Ghana Health Service, said: “Training for Ebola Case Management was urgently needed. Although, our national budget was limited, with JICA’s support, many medical personnel, police officers and immigration officers throughout the country were able to acquire the capacity to prepare the management of Ebola cases to a certain extent.”

Those supports were conducted as part of an ongoing technical cooperation for the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service. JICA’s experts and Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers are working for those projects onsite.

JICA’s support of Ebola preparedness and response is ongoing. To contribute to smooth screening in border regions and at an airport, JICA has provided Japanese-made thermography cameras. JICA’s experts on infection prevention and control are also working on the promotion and reinforcement of Ebola prevention activities.

Supporting the production of a documentary presenting Ebola inspection system at Noguchi Institute

The NMIMR contributes to Ebola prevention in Ghana, as the only institute registered for Ebola inspection by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, at one point, residents living in the vicinity of the Institute raised serious questions about possible infection by specimens being brought.

To dispel their concerns, the NMIMR has produced a 15 minutes of documentary footage to show how inspections are conducted within the Institute. JICA supported its production and its broadcast in Ghana.

In the documentary, the Ministry of Health of Ghana as well as the country office of WHO, provided comments to give assurances about the capacity and expertise of the NMIMR to deal with inspections. JICA’s contributions were also presented in the footage including the dispatch of Japanese experts and training programs for Ghanaian researchers held in Japan to improve the research capacity of the NMIMR.

There is a scene in which Kwadwo Koram, professor, director of the NMIMR, expressed his gratitude for the long-term support and fruitful cooperation from Japan. This footage has been broadcast repeatedly on the state channel, and it will be also broadcast on commercial television soon.

Hideyo Noguchi’s sense of mission lives on in Ghana

Hideyo Noguchi is the figure printed on the one thousand Japanese yen bill. About 100 years ago he went to Ghana without his family and devoted himself to research on yellow fever. Unfortunately, he came down with this disease and his life ended in Ghana. To praise his achievement, the NMIMR was built as a basic medical research institute, with grant aid from Japan.

After completion of the NMIMR, JICA supported basic medical research in Ghana from the bottom up, by implementing technical cooperation projects on the prevention of several infections. Today, the NMIMR has developed to the point of engaging in cooperative research with other research institutions, and also having exchanges with Japanese universities.

Since 2010, together with Tokyo Medical and Dental University and Nagasaki International University, the NMIMR has been working on a project called “Studies of Anti-viral and Anti-parasitic Compounds from Selected Ghanaian Medicinal Plants,” which is a scientific cooperative project under the Science and Technology Research Partnership (SATREPS) between JICA and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). With the completed projects, JICA has sent experts to Ghana with the cooperation of Japanese universities, while a number of Ghanaian researchers went to Japan to obtain master’s degrees or doctoral degrees.

William Kwabena Ampofo, professor, head of Virology Department of the NMIMR, completed his doctorates at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University. He acts as an adviser for the emergency committee of the World Health Organization Ebola disease. And he is also offering technical support for Guinea, where Ebola has spread widely.

Ghana as a Hub Country for Ebola Countermeasures in West Africa

Ebola has been on the rampage in West Africa since the end of August 2014. Senegal, Nigeria and Mali, where Ebola had not widely spread compared to other countries, were eventually declared Ebola-free on Jan. 18, 2015. Whist, in the three most-affected countries, namely Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, where more than 8,000 had been killed, there have been fewer than 100 new confirmed cases reported in a week for the first time since its epidemic according to a report by the World Health Organization (as of Jan. 28). Even though the spread has slowed, the acute situation continues.

Ghana is located close to the countries where Ebola cases were found, and it is taking an important role in the fight against Ebola in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The United Nations established its head office for “the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER)” in Ghana. UNMEER is controlling Ebola countermeasures in West Africa and also handling emergency supplies delivered from Japan and other countries. Both the Japanese Embassy and JICA office in Ghana administer Japanese government’s activities in Liberia and Sierra Leone, therefore, they contribute to providing support for both countries.

In Ghana, no Ebola cases have been reported. However, it is said that its infectious risk of Ebola is the highest because the flow of people over borders is high (2). An institution has been collecting more than 100 blood samples of suspected Ebola cases all over the country. This institution is the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), University of Ghana, built 35 years ago with Japanese cooperation.

Study proves that Ebola is more distructive in young children

The team analyzed data on Ebola cases in children under 16 during the current outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and found that young children who get the disease have a lower chance of surviving it, although the rate of infection is lower in children than adults.
As of March 2015, nearly 4,000 children under 16 have been affected by Ebola in the current epidemic, around a fifth of all confirmed and probable cases, according to the World Health Organization.
The study found that Ebola has affected young children most severely, killing around 90 percent of children aged under a year and around 80 percent of children aged one to four years who are infected.
Older children are much more likely to survive the disease. It has killed 52 percent of infected children aged 10 to 15. For adults aged 16 to 44, the case fatality rate is 65 percent.
The incubation period, the time between becoming infected and showing symptoms, was 6.9 days in children under a year and 9.8 days in children aged 10 to 15.
Younger children also had shorter times from the onset of symptoms to hospitalization and death, they found.
There were also differences in the symptoms experienced by children. Children were more likely to have a fever when they first see a doctor, and less likely to have pain in the abdomen, chest, joints, or muscles; difficulty breathing or swallowing; or hiccups.
“These findings show that Ebola affects young children quite differently to adults, and it’s especially important that we get them into treatment quickly. We also need to look at whether young children are getting treatment that’s appropriate for their age,” said Professor Christl Donnelly of the Imperial College London and a co-author of the study, in a statement.
The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Enditem

Generosity helping in fight against Ebola

Health care workers in Liberia are gowned, masked and sprayed down so they can help Ebola patients and not contract the disease. Donations from Langley have helped in the response to the disease.

— image credit: Photo courtesy of the Korle-Bu Neuroscience Foundation

The Langley-based Korle-Bu Neuroscience Foundation has been busy these past months, responding to the Ebola crisis in Liberia.
Marj Ratel, founder and director of KBNF, said to date, they have shipped four containers, three being received and one enroute.
They have eight more containers waiting to go. So far, 685 hospital beds are committed, coming from parts of Canada from here to Ontario. This week, KBNF is receiving 100-plus beds from Vancouver General Hospital alone.
“One thousand (beds) will become a reality I believe, this year,” said Ratel, a registered nurse.
The foundation committed last fall to collect 1,000 hospital beds and ship them to Liberia. That will require 18 containers, and shipping will cost about $5,000 per container.
“Just last week, we received a carload of clothing and shoes from a family south of Fraser Highway,” she said of the donations happening locally.
Their contributions will be going on the next shipment. The response from the Langley community has been touching, she said. Rotary clubs are also looking to help.
Ratel said Ebola has been heartbreaking and devastating, with hospital staff sharing stories and pictures of the wake of death and despair this disease leaves.
“Thankfully there have been no new cases in Liberia in over 26 days,” said Ratel.
KBNF is a registered charity that focuses mainly on providing medical support for brain and spinal injuries and other diseases for people of Ghana and other parts of West Africa.

The foundation has established a well-equipped teaching hospital on the outskirts of Accra, Ghana’s capital, and it treats patients from across West Africa.

Togolese President in Accra for Ebola meeting

Togolese President, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, ECOWAS’ Contact Person on Ebola is in Accra to participate in a High Level Coordination meeting of ECOWAS, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and other partners.
The meeting will make an assessment of the progress made so far by the West African sub-region in combating the disease.
President Gnassigbe was met at the airport by Vice President, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur on Thursday.
The meeting which will be chaired by ECOWAS chairman, President John Mahama will discuss the effective coordination of the Ebola Response Initiatives and provide a platform for the sharing of information on the situation in affected member states.
The meeting will take place at the Accra International Conference Center on Friday.
- See more at: http://www.citifmonline.com/2015/01/16/togolese-president-accra-ebola-meeting/#sthash.x9tBoQC9.dpufTogolese President, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, ECOWAS’ Contact Person on Ebola is in Accra to participate in a High Level Coordination meeting of ECOWAS, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and other partners.

The meeting will make an assessment of the progress made so far by the West African sub-region in combating the disease.

President Gnassigbe was met at the airport by Vice President, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur on Thursday.

The meeting which will be chaired by ECOWAS chairman, President John Mahama will discuss the effective coordination of the Ebola Response Initiatives and provide a platform for the sharing of information on the situation in affected member states.

The meeting will take place at the Accra International Conference Center on Friday.

Ghana risks recording Ebola case – Health Minister

Minister for Health, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman Mensah said Ghana stands a high risk of recording  a case of Ebola due to the continuous interactions with the countries most affected by the disease.

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According to the Minister, activities of fishermen on the Gulf of Guinea and relationships between Liberians and their relatives in the Budumburam camp are mostly risks factors.

Dr. Agyeman Mensah who made this observation at a meeting of ECOWAS Health Ministers in Accra.

“Ghana however stands at high risk of infection on the counts that we have Ghanaian fishermen from Sierra Leone and Liberia who might return home to their relatives and the refugee camp at Budumburam with Liberian citizens which is noted as constant interaction between them an relatives in Ghana”

But the Minister therefore assured Ghanaians that these inhabitants are constantly monitored  adding, “these travelers are have been identified and monitored and the local health systems have alerted their contact tracing teams to monitor and follow these returnees up to the maximum incubation period of 21 days.”

Dr Mensah however said Ghana has put in place stringent measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the country stating, “these are indications on how far the government has gone in putting stringent measures for any possibilities.”

He then disclose that the even though the country has reported suspected case all tests turned out to be negative.

“In Ghana as at 10^th January this year 131 suspected Ebola cases have been reported and test as the Nuguchi Memorial Institute for Medical research indicates that all are negative for Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fever,” he said.

-

By: Patricia Conteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana

- See more at: http://www.citifmonline.com/2015/01/16/ghana-risks-recording-ebola-case-health-minister/#sthash.RvPG96aw.dpufMinister for Health, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman Mensah said Ghana stands a high risk of recording  a case of Ebola due to the continuous interactions with the countries most affected by the disease.Minister for Health, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman Mensah said Ghana stands a high risk of recording  a case of Ebola due to the continuous interactions with the countries most affected by the disease.

According to the Minister, activities of fishermen on the Gulf of Guinea and relationships between Liberians and their relatives in the Budumburam camp are mostly risks factors.

Dr. Agyeman Mensah who made this observation at a meeting of ECOWAS Health Ministers in Accra.

“Ghana however stands at high risk of infection on the counts that we have Ghanaian fishermen from Sierra Leone and Liberia who might return home to their relatives and the refugee camp at Budumburam with Liberian citizens which is noted as constant interaction between them an relatives in Ghana”

But the Minister therefore assured Ghanaians that these inhabitants are constantly monitored  adding, “these travelers are have been identified and monitored and the local health systems have alerted their contact tracing teams to monitor and follow these returnees up to the maximum incubation period of 21 days.”

Dr Mensah however said Ghana has put in place stringent measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the country stating, “these are indications on how far the government has gone in putting stringent measures for any possibilities.”

He then disclose that the even though the country has reported suspected case all tests turned out to be negative.

“In Ghana as at 10^th January this year 131 suspected Ebola cases have been reported and test as the Nuguchi Memorial Institute for Medical research indicates that all are negative for Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fever,” he said.

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By: Patricia Conteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to the Minister, activities of fishermen on the Gulf of Guinea and relationships between Liberians and their relatives in the Budumburam camp are mostly risks factors.

Dr. Agyeman Mensah who made this observation at a meeting of ECOWAS Health Ministers in Accra.

“Ghana however stands at high risk of infection on the counts that we have Ghanaian fishermen from Sierra Leone and Liberia who might return home to their relatives and the refugee camp at Budumburam with Liberian citizens which is noted as constant interaction between them an relatives in Ghana”

But the Minister therefore assured Ghanaians that these inhabitants are constantly monitored  adding, “these travelers are have been identified and monitored and the local health systems have alerted their contact tracing teams to monitor and follow these returnees up to the maximum incubation period of 21 days.”

Dr Mensah however said Ghana has put in place stringent measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the country stating, “these are indications on how far the government has gone in putting stringent measures for any possibilities.”

He then disclose that the even though the country has reported suspected case all tests turned out to be negative.

“In Ghana as at 10^th January this year 131 suspected Ebola cases have been reported and test as the Nuguchi Memorial Institute for Medical research indicates that all are negative for Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fever,” he said.

-

By: Patricia Conteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana

- See more at: http://www.citifmonline.com/2015/01/16/ghana-risks-recording-ebola-case-health-minister/#sthash.RvPG96aw.dpuf

Ebola outbreak: Two vaccines cleared for trials in west Africa

Two potential Ebola vaccines have been approved for front-line trials in West Africa. The vaccines, developed by GlaxoSmithKline and Merck & Co, are expected to begin trails in Liberia at the end of January and Sierra Leone and Guinea in February.
The Merck vaccine were temporarily halted in December due to joint pain, a side effect later termed tolerable by the W
Having completed trials in the US and Europe, the next stage involves around 40,000 people being given the vaccine, including some healthcare workers. In a speech on 9 January, Marie-Paule Kieny, assistant director general of the WHO, was bullish, saying that the medical armoury against the disease was rapidly filling up.

at this time last year I would have said the cupboard was empty, dry, but now the cupboard is clearly filling up rapidly

She said.
The first stage of the process will involve three groups of 9,000 being given the vaccines in Liberia, the worst affected country. According to data from the WHO, over 21,000 people have been infected with Ebola and 0ver 8,200 have died. Although the rate of contagion has slowed recently, the outbreak is still raging on.

Ghana to test Ebola vaccine in Kintampo

Ghana is scheduled to begin a trial of an Ebola vaccine by the end of this month.

The Ebola vaccine trials will be carried out in Hohoe and Kintampo.

According to the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Professor Fred Binka, the trials will inform scientists on effective results regarding the Ebola vaccine.

This forms part of preparations towards any case detection in Ghana, he told Radio Ghana. The trial has the full backing of the World Health Organisation.

Meanwhile, Liberia, which is one of the West African countries ravaged by the disease has began a trial of a potential drug to treat Ebola.

The antiviral - brincidofovir - is being tested on Ebola patients on a voluntary basis. People who do not consent to it receive standard care.

Oxford University scientists leading the research say initial results are expected in the next few months. A study involving a similar drug - favipiravir - began in Guinea in December.

The Race for the Ebola Vaccine

With Ebola still raging in West Africa, the race to find a vaccine is heating up. Which drug company will be first to the finish line?

The need for an Ebola vaccine in West Africa has never been greater.
While public interest in Ebola continues to dwindle, the epidemic itself continues to soar. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization reported more than 20,000 cases of the disease in West Africa, nearly half of them in Sierra Leone. The death toll, which experts believe has been significantly undercut by secret burials, stands at 7,905. With a mortality rate of 70 percent, the more cases that arise, the deadlier this epidemic becomes.
Although a few smaller companies have become involved in the race for a vaccine, three major pharmaceutical makers are taking the lead—each pursuing a different vaccine. The trials are unprecedented for a variety of reasons, including the rapid timeline (trials of this nature generally take three to four years). Each individual race involves an unusual collaboration between researchers, manufacturers, and public-health entities. Together, the teams are working 24 hours a day for a product that promises much higher risk than it does profit.

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NGO creates awareness of Ebola, cholera in Upper East

The Institute of Social Research and Development, a non-governmental organisation, with support from UKAID, a British aid agency, has launched a project in the Upper East Region to create awareness of the Ebola and cholera diseases. The project will cover a period of six months.

It would impart knowledge of the disease to the people and also educate them on ways by which they can prevent the cholera and Ebola diseases through changing their behavioural patterns.

According to the project organisers, it is expected that by the end of the project, about 70 per cent of groups thought to be ‘‘at risk” would have had their knowledge broadened on the modes of transmission, signs and symptoms of the Ebola and cholera diseases. Beneficiaries

Pupils from selected schools in the Bolgatanga and Bawku municipalities, the Builsa North and South and Bawku West districts and the Talensi, Pusiga and Binduri towns in the Upper East Region have been sensitised to the diseases.

According to the Regional Coordinator for the Institute of Social Research and Development, Mr Abdul-Razak Issah, the sensitisation exercise formed part of the organisation's health promotion activities at the school level dubbed, "In-School Sensitisation Programme". He said, creating awareness among pupils and teachers was fundamental if the diseases were to be contained.

He said creating awareness of the diseases would also enhance the pupils’ personal hygiene and promote sound environmental management practices at the school and community levels.

Mr Issah urged the pupils to take control of themselves and serve as ambassadors in creating awareness of the diseases at the community level. He urged them to take note of the signs of the diseases that include high fever, vomiting, headache, diarrhoea, sore throat and bleeding.

He encouraged the pupils to wash their hands with soap frequently and report any suspected cases of either Ebola or cholera to the nearest health facility for investigation. He expressed his gratitude to the heads of the participatory schools and the pupils for making themselves available for the project.

Mr Issah further commended UKAID and the Ghana Health Service for supporting the project. About the NGO

The Institute of Social Research and Development was established as a non-governmental organisation in Ghana in 2006. It has the objective to undertake integrated development research and design and manage development programmes aimed at improving the lives of rural people.

Since its inception, the institute has implemented numerous projects mainly in the area of health particularly in the three northern regions of the country.

The organisation is working in 200 communities in the Upper East Region and has so far held stakeholders’ meetings, organised orientation courses for traditional and religious leaders and trained a number of community health nurses and surveillance volunteers in all the 13 municipalities and districts of the Upper East Region.

Source:GhanaWeb