MONROVIA, May 10 (LINA) – The Liberia National Red Cross Society (LNRCS) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are urging Liberians citizens and residents to exercise caution as the country is officially declared Ebola free.
Making the call on Saturday, Red Cross Secretary General Fayiah Tamba said the Red Cross is cautiously optimistic that having reached the milestone of 42 days without any new confirmed Ebola cases, Liberia is now well placed to begin the process of recovery.
The Liberia National Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross on Saturday joined partner organizations in celebrating the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of Liberia as an Ebola-free nation.
“We encourage Liberians to remain vigilant and continue to practice safety measures to keep themselves and their families safe. While we may not have cases, both Guinea and Sierra Leone do;as long as they continue to report new confirmed cases, we are all at risk,” Tamba warned.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross Secretary General has observed that there is still a lot of work to be done to support families and the country in recovering from the Ebola outbreak.
“The Red Cross was present in Liberia before the Ebola outbreak and we will continue to be here after the outbreak when many other responders would have gone. Our dedicated volunteers will continue to support the Liberian people and communities as they recover and become better equipped to deal with parallel health and humanitarian challenges such as measles, malaria and water-borne diseases,” he noted.
He also pledged the Red Cross’ support in working alongside the Ministry of Health and partner organizations to ensure that healthcare systems are strengthened and help put in place appropriate response mechanisms to cope with future epidemics.
This, Tamba noted, includes having adequate resources strategically positioned to launch a timely response should new confirmed cases arise.
“The Red Cross is incredibly proud of the dedication and tireless efforts of our staff and volunteers who are committed to the fight against Ebola, despite the risk to their personal safety and stigma they face in the community. The Red Cross encourages all Liberians to celebrate the contribution of these courageous volunteers as they return to their normal lives,” MrTamba said.
LINA/JCG/TSS