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Here are the stories you need to know on Ebola response and recovery!
1. American Ebola Patient in Critical Condition
An American aid worker who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone and was evacuated to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, is now in a critical condition, the hospital has said.
NIH Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center, Bethesda, Maryland | Image by NIH
The individual, a clinician who has not been publicly named, was working with the organization Partners In Health, led by Dr. Paul Farmer and Ophelia Dahl, in Port Loko, Sierra Leone.
Eleven of the patient's colleagues have also been evacuated to the U.S. for monitoring. But as the New York Times reports, the individual's Sierra Leonean colleagues have not received the same level of care.
One Sierra Leonean government health officer who contracted Ebola days later, and was working at the same center, “was first sent to a local treatment unit where roughly 50 percent of all Ebola patients die. He was [initially] told there was ‘no room’ at the specialized British unit [for health workers],” the newspaper says.
“This person’s life is less than the American’s?" the newspaper quotes Dr. Kwan Kew Lai, a doctor who cared for the health officer, as saying. The man has since been found a bed at the British unit for health workers.
2. Case Numbers Continue to Fluctuate in Sierra Leone
The number of new cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone continues to fluctuate, according to updated figures released today from the Ministry of Health.
A round of applause for Ebola survivor, Sewa Mansaray | Image by James Fulker/DFID
The Ministry of Health had not released figures for several days until Thursday. The new figures show that one case of Ebola was recorded on Wednesday (in Freetown), following 14 new positive diagnoses on Tuesday. Eight of Tuesday's new cases were recorded in Kambia. On Monday, there were three new cases.
In the week leading up to March 15, Sierra Leone recorded 55 new cases, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s most recent situation report.
A British army medic engaged in the Ebola response in Sierra Leone tested positive for the virus last Wednesday, and has been evacuated to the U.K, The Telegraph reports.
UKAid in Sierra Leone | Image by Staff Sergeant Tom Robinson/RLC Crown Copyright
The female health worker is currently being treated at The Royal Free Hospital in London, where British Ebola survivors Will Pooley and Pauline Cafferkey, who both also became infected in Sierra Leone, were successfully treated.
The patient came into contact with four colleagues, two of whom have been evacuated alongside her as a precautionary measure, according to The Guardian.
4. Gender-based violence increases during the Ebola Outbreak in Guinea
Gender-based violence in Guinea has increased by at least 4.5 percent since the Ebola epidemic began, according to a Reuters story that cites Sanaba Kaba, the country's minister of social action, women and children.
Mother and Child in Conakry, Guinea | Image by UN Photo/Martine Perret
The number of rapes reported in Guinea has doubled since the outbreak began, Kaba said. Guinea is currently experiencing another spike in cases of Ebola.
Sierra Leone and Liberia have also seen a rise in sexual violence, although data has not been made public.
As Ebola Deeply reported last week, the Family Support Unit of the Sierra Leone police recorded more than 2,000 cases of sexual abuse against children in 2014 – a record high. Many more cases have likely gone unreported.
Recommended Reads from Around the Web:
The National: ‘Ebola-Free’ Liberia's Fight May Not Be Over
Voice of America: As Ebola Slows, Social Life in Liberia Ramps Up
Buzzfeed: This Photo Captures the Human Tragedy of Ebola in Liberia
Stanford Daily: We're Still Talking About Ebola?
Washington Post: The Biggest Threat to Stopping Ebola is Thinking That It’s Over Now
International Medical Corps: Life in the Midst of Death on an Ebola Ward
These stories come from daily summaries of the outbreak, originally published on Ebola Deeply, an independent digital media project working to improve the state of information around the Ebola crisis. Their goal is to build a better user experience of the story by adding context to content, integrating expertise in science, health, and public policy with a range of voices on the ground. The team is committed to a collaborative and solutions-driven model of journalism, surfacing new insights and elevating voices with knowledge to share. Find more content from Ebola Deeply here.