* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
EBOLA cases are on the increase in Sierra Leone as efforts continue to stop the spread of the virus, reports children’s charity Plan International.
Nineteen people have died in Kailahun district, in the north-east of the country, where there have been 52 confirmed cases.
A further 138 people are suspected to have the virus, according to the Chief Medical Officer in Sierra Leone.
Ebola spread into Sierra Leone last month after claiming dozens of lives in neighbouring Guinea and Liberia.
“The number of confirmed cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone is on the increase,” says Augustine Allieu, Plan’s Country Director of Sierra Leone.
“Plan is committed to safeguarding the interest of children and their families during this Ebola outbreak.
“Suspected Ebola cases should be referred immediately to a health centre for diagnosis and prevention measures,” he adds.
Plan is a member of the national stakeholder task force and is working with partners to conduct surveillance in high risk areas, but staff movements have been restricted in Kailahun, to ensure the virus does not spread.
Factsheets are being distributed and awareness-raising sessions are still being held in schools. Plan is also supporting information-led radio broadcasts.
Plan has been working in Sierra Leone since 1976, helping children to access their rights to education, health, livelihood, sanitation and protection.
In Kailahun, Plan is working in more than 450 communities, targeting thousands of children and their families.
For more information on Plan’s work or to make a donation call 0800 526 848 or visit www.plan-uk.org
