MONROVIA, April 1 (LINA) -The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Director, Dr. Nestor Ndayimirije, has reaffirmed his institution's support to the Government of Liberia in the fight against the deadly Ebola virus.
According to the Liberia News Agency, he made the statement at a joint press conference held at the Ministry of Information in Monrovia on Monday along with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Dr. Ndayimirije said the WHO has provided technical assistance to the Health Ministry since news broke of the death of five persons from the deadly Ebola virus in Lofa County.
According to the WHO official, the UN agency rendered emergency support to a medical team from the Ministry of Health that was sent to Lofa County as news of the Ebola virus circulated in the country.
He said WHO has also constructed a field laboratory in Guekedou and Conakry in neighboring Guinea to test for Ebola.
The WHO official, however, called on Liberians to follow tips that will help them in successfully responding to an Ebola outbreak.
Dr. Ndayimirije said Liberians should avoid fear, panic and denial, and provide good and timely information, be transparent in providing information on all operations, focus at the most affected areas, especially recent ones, be flexible and able to adjust strategy as things may change in the course of the outbreak.
He also called on Liberians to investigate in a timely manner rumors and suspected areas of Ebola, as well as give special attention to traditional healers and practices, vendors of bush meats such as monkeys and chimpanzees, cleaners and drivers of ambulances, among others.
He thanked the Ministry of Health authorities for the prompt and timely manner in which they responded to the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Liberia.
The first Ebola or Hemorrhagic fever outbreak took place in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 and in Sudan between 1976 and 1979.
The virus is named after a river in DR Congo.
It lasts from two to 21 days and can be transmitted from person-to-person by direct or close contact with infected blood and other body fluids such as saliva, urine and sperm.
LINA PSN/TSS/PTK