Ebola outbreak reaches Freetown

I am sad to read this evening that Dr, Khan, the chief doctor leading the fight against the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, died this afternoon (Tuesday 29 July) less than a week after it was announced that he had contracted the virus. I had hoped he would have had a chance of survival as he was diagnosed very early.

"His death at the age of 39 was a big and irreparable loss to Sierra Leone as he was the only specialist the country had in viral haemorrhagic fevers," said the chief medical officer, Brima Kargbo.

Ebola is believed to have killed 672 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since the outbreak began in February, according to the World Health Organisation.

Because of the outbreak which has now spread to Nigeria, two West African airlines, one based in Togo and the other Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest carrier, have suspended flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

However the World Health Organization does not recommend any travel restrictions to Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone at this time.

Public Health England advises that the risk to tourists, visitors or expatriate residents in affected areas is considered very low if elementary precautions are followed

However the situation is far from clear because, although numbers of cases in Guinea appear to be falling, suggesting the outbreak is under control, it may be that infected people are hiding rather than coming forward to be treated.

In Sierra Leone the Chief Medical Officer has stated that relatives of patients are refusing to allow medical staff to attend to them, making it difficult to reduce the number of new infections.  Because of hostility and fear, families are attacking doctors and people are refusing to take infected relatives to health facilities.

Officials report that some people don’t believe the disease is real or fear that white researchers have introduced it to experiment on Africans.

I now read that a case has been confirmed in Freetown, A woman from Wellington has been confirmed to have the disease, but her relatives stormed the Freetown hospital where she was held in isolation and took her away. Officials are searching for her.

I am very concerned as this is an area were we have been working. We need to pray for our friends, especially Dr. Samuel Kargbo, who heads the work of Faith Baptist Church in Wellington.  We are hoping to welcome out Programme Director from Freetown, Alpha Kargbo, to the UK in three months time.

Alpha Kargbo

Alpha lives in the neighbouring area of Kissy and is Samuel's brother. Both need our prayers. Will this visit go ahead?  We hope and pray that the situation will be under control.