The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
With 18 Ebola cases reported, 14 confirmed, and four deaths to date, the West African nation of Guinea is becoming the focus of an urgent public health response involving national health authorities, local communities, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners. An Ebola vaccine has been deployed for the first time in the country, with more than 1,600 people vaccinated so far.
“We are using the ring vaccination,” said Dr. Ibrahima Socé Fall, the Assistant Director-General of WHO responsible for emergency response, referring to the strategy that inhibits the spread of a disease by vaccinating only those most likely to be infected. “We are vaccinating the contacts of cases, the contact of contacts, and their contacts. With this strategy we are able to control this type of outbreak. But we are going to need more vaccines.” Dr. Fall told journalist in Geneva on Friday.
Some 30,000 Ebola vaccines are currently available to Guinea, out of a global stock of half a million.
“If the outbreak spreads to other countries, we have limited stocks” said the Director of Strategic Health Operations at WHO, Dr. Michel Yao, speaking by videoconference from the town of Nzérékoré in Guinea, one of the epicentres of the outbreak, which is near the border with Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire.
The last Ebola outbreak in Guinea, which started in 2014, quickly spread to neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone. By the time it was finally brought under control, it had become the deadliest Ebola outbreak since the virus was first detected in 1976, with some 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths.
“There are six neighboring countries to Guinea, and we conducted a self-assessment of readiness,” said Gueye Abdou Salam, Regional Emergency Director of WHO’s regional office for Africa, speaking by videoconference from Brazzaville. “Two of the countries are not ready, and one country is on the borderline and there are three countries that are more or less ready.”
Having faced previous Ebola outbreaks gives health authorities a considerable advantage this time around, experts agree. “It is important to learn the lessons from these outbreaks,” said Dr. Georges Alfred Ki-Zerbo, the WHO Representative in Guinea, referring to the need to get buy-in from local communities in all the areas where vaccination campaigns are planned.
“Where we launch the vaccination campaign in Gouecke, a few kilometers from there is the village of Wome. This is where a team of officials and responders were trapped and actually killed in the last outbreak in 2015. So, we need to take that into account when we engage with communities to make sure that we listen to them,” Dr. Ki-Zerbo said.
There is broad consensus among health officials the acting quickly is a crucial factor in controlling the spread of Ebola, but that preventive measures and better preparedness are also needed to protect people from a broader range of pathogens.
Dr. Fall took the view that the world will increasingly face a greater number of health epidemics, especially as human habitats encroach on forest areas.
“We are increasingly in a situation in which we have to face multiple epidemics,” Dr. Fall said, speaking to reporters in French. “Countries must be enabled to respond to multiple epidemics, but especially through preventive measures.”
One challenge, Dr. Fall said, is that the strong focus on the COVID-19 pandemic is making it more difficult to focus global attention on the tools needed to respond to any other emerging pathogens.
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations entrance, a sunny day.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall, Assistant Director-General, Emergency Response, WHO (World Health Organization): “We are using the ring vaccination, meaning that we are vaccinating the contacts of cases, the contact of contacts, and their contacts. So with this strategy we are able to, you know in an appropriate manner, to control this type of outbreak. But in the future, we need more vaccines.”
- Exterior wide shot, UN flag flying, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Dr Michel Yao, Director, Strategic Health Operations, WHO (World Health Organization): “If the outbreak spreads to other countries, we have limited stocks.”
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations flag alley and entrance.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Gueye Abdou Salam, Regional Emergency Director), WHO/ AFRO: “ There are six neighboring countries to Guinea and we conducted a self-assessment of fitness. Two of the countries are not ready and one country is on the borderline and there are three countries that are more or less ready.”
- Exterior wide shot, UN building and the Celestial Sphere, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Dr Georges Alfred Ki-Zerbo, WHO Representative in Guinea: “Where we launch the vaccination campaign in Gouecke, a few kilometers from there is the village of Wome. This is where a team of officials and responders were trapped and actually killed in the last outbreak in 2015. So, we need to take that into account when we engage with communities to make sure that we listen to them.”
- Exterior wide shot, Broken Chair sculpture, Place des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Dr Michel Yao, Director, Strategic Health Operations, WHO (World Health Organization): “We cannot win this battle without the community.”
- Exterior medium shot, Un building and flag, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (French) — Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall, Assistant Director-General, Emergency Response, WHO (World Health Organization): “Nous sommes de plus en plus dans une situation où nous avons à faire face à de multiples épidémies.” (« We are increasingly in a situation in which we have to face multiple epidemics »)
- Exterior wide shot, Un building and flag, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (French) — Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall, Assistant Director-General, Emergency Response, WHO (World Health Organization): “Il faut que les pays soit en mesure de répondre à de multiples épidémies, mais surtout de façon préventive.” (« Countries must be enabled to respond to multiple epidemics, but especially through preventive measures »)
- Exterior wide shot
- Exterior wide shot, UN flag and flag alley, Palais des Nations.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
Institutionalised forced labour by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea constitutes grave violations of human rights – UN report
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Time is running out for starving civilians in Sudan, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday, while talks involving the country’s warring parties continue in Geneva this week.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC faces a severe humanitarian crisis with 25M in need and rising conflict-related issues.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
A gimmer of good news emerged from Gaza on Tuesday as patients returned to at a newly reopened UN health centre in Khan Younis, six months after it was severely damaged and forced to close by heavy fighting, the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN condemns attacks on Kyiv hospitals, calls for immediate action to protect civilians.
1
1
2
Edited News | WHO
In Gaza, soaring temperatures, hunger and unsanitary conditions present an ever more deadly threat to a population under constant attack, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WMO , IFRC
Hurricane Beryl smashes into Caribbean, turns sights on Mexico As Hurricane Beryl’s destructive path shifted to Mexico on Friday after roiling the Caribbean, UN agencies and partners said that the emergency response was underway, before warning that a very long and damaging hurricane season looks increasingly likely.
1
1
2
Edited News | IOM , mcc , UNHCR
Refugees and migrants continue to face extreme forms of violence, exploitation and death on sea and on land across Africa as they attempt to leave the continent, UN agencies said on Friday, in an appeal to border authorities to do more to protect them.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk at the 56th Human Rigths Council, made the following update on the situation of human rights in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , WHO
New evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army for areas in southern Gaza are expected to impact 250,000 people, including eastern Khan Younis and Rafah, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , WHO
Gaza: People are desperate, they need everything, says UN aid agency Panic and desperation now grip ordinary Gazans struggling to survive, UN humanitarians said on Friday, amid fuel shortages of fuel and dwindling supplies that have prevented aid teams from doing their job.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
UN aid teams and partner organizations remain deeply committed to delivering lifesaving supplies into Gaza, despite the increasing dangers of working there, the Organization’s top aid official said on Wednesday.