ASEOWA Guinea – 12 Ebola Survivors at the AU run Ebola Treatment Unit

Sunday 25th January, 2015 – Twelve persons have been healed of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) following medical care at the African Union run Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) in Coyah, Guinea, so far. According to ASEOWA’s Dr Dalion Muamba, a clinician deployed to Coyah, “Seven other patients have also regained their health. They were however declared non-cases because they tested negative to EVD, although they had previously shown EVD symptoms”.
On Monday, 19th January, 2015, six EVD survivors and two non-cases were discharged. It was a ceremony of sorts as state authorities, inhabitants of Coyah, the media and others, joined the families of survivors to welcome their loved ones back into the communities. It was also an opportunity to denounce stigmatisation against Ebola survivors, and incidences of reticence and denial perpetrated in some communities.
To underscore the successes registered so far, the Coyah ETU was also visited by the ASEOWA head of mission, General Dr Julius Oketta. His visit coincided with that of the ministers of health and of communication in Guinea, together with Cuba’s ambassador to Guinea.

L: Cuba’s Ambassador, M: Minister of Health , R: ASEOWA Head of Mission
In addition to clinicians and nurses at the ETU, ASEOWA has deployed epidemiologists and other paramedical staff to the Coyah prefecture. According to ASEOWA’s Dr Jacques Monkange, “Together with partners, we have trained four hundred and seventeen (417) youths in community sensitisation, from all four sub-prefectures in Coyah. We have also equipped them with flip charts to inform and to educate the population using the door-to-door mobilisation strategy”. As stated by General Oketta, “EVD begins with the community and ends with the community”, so the positive involvement of everyone is important to end this epidemic.
The Coyah ETU which is jointly run by the African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA), Cuban experts and other partners, opened on 31st December 2014. It is also a training centre. Reiterating the AUC Chairperson, H.E. Dr N.Dlamini Zuma’s goodwill message to all ASEOWA volunteers, General Oketta hinted that discussions are ongoing to transform the ETUs into full hospitals, thereby strengthening the public health system of affected countries in the post Ebola phase.

L: ASEOWA Team in Coyah R: Head of Mission poses with Clinicians about to start work
For Further Information Contact: Wynne Musabayana | Deputy Head of Division | Information and Communication Division | African Union Commission | Tel: (251) 11 551 77 00 | Fax: (251) 11 551 78 44 | E-mail: MusabayanaW@africa-union.org | Web: www.au.int|Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

Paschal Chem-Langhee,
Public Information and Communication Officer,
The African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA),
Conakry, Guinea.
Website: http://pages.au.int/ebola
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