The African Union (AU) Nigerian Contingent
in the fight against the Ebola virus disease deployed in Northern
Sierra Leone and the Western Area on Thursday May 7, 2015 bid farewell
to the Ministry of Health at a ceremony held in the Ministry’s
conference hall in Freetown.
According to Awareness Times, the Nigeria High
Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Modupeola Quist-Adebiyi reiterated the
Federal Republic of Nigeria continued support to Sierra Leone adding
that the team enjoyed the strong bilateral and mutual relationship
between the two countries.
The Team Leader and Coordinator, Dr.
Abdullahi Musa said the team comprised 11 personnel in different
discipline that made great impact on psycho-social counseling,
surveillance, case management, data processing and assisting survivors.
During their stay in Kambia, Koinadugu,
Tonkolili, Port Loko and Bombali they were able to address
complications, trauma, and reducing the rate of transmission.
Commenting on their success story, Dr.
Musa said they were also deployed in hot spot areas in the Bombali and
Port Loko districts, and until their journey back home, nobody got
infected. The other aspect of the success story was the admission of 166
patients with the discharged of 106 patients, and processed 1,100 blood
samples. The team has also recently deployed a mobile laboratory in
Kambia, and had decontaminated over 1,500 quarantined homes.
He said they provide in-patients and
out-patients services, intensified surveillance and restored community
participation with high response structure.
“We would leave a skeleton staff and would missed the warm reception and hospitality enjoyed during our stay”, said Dr. Musa.
Responding, Minister of Health and
Sanitation, Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah gave a brief historic sketch of the
Ebola outbreak in Guinea and Liberia and the geo-political consideration
for the non-closure of our borders during the outbreak in Sierra Leone
in May 25, 2014, taking into account the free movement of people, trade,
culture and support from the two neighboring countries during the civil
conflict.
He reiterated the support from the Federal
Republic of Nigeria during the rebel war, and the solidarity
demonstrated as one of the first African countries that came to aid
Sierra Leone on the event of the Ebola outbreak.
Dr. Fofanah on behalf of the Ministry, the government and people of Sierra Leone expressed gratitude and appreciation for the strong support and solidarity, hoping that the existing bilateral relationship will continue to grow from strength to strength.
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