Sierra Leone (SL) reported the first case of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in May 2014 and by mid August,  848 infections and 365 deaths had been registered in Sierra Leone. The disease has a fatality rate of up to 90% and no licensed treatment  appropriate for infected humans is available. According to Sierra Leone's National Taks Force  for EVD, the lack of: 
- culturally appropriate community awareness raising about EVD identification and protection, tied to ignorance and 
  misinformation among the population; 
- effective surveillance and reporting of EVD infected people by the communities and 
- sufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and disinfectant (chlorine) 
are causing serious risks for a continued spread of EVD. 
 
This projects thus seeks to contribute to the prevention and containment of EVD in Sierra Leone in three districts (Bo and Pujehun in the south and Kono in the east), by aiming to achieve the following results:
 
1)    50 nurses are being trained in how to prevent, identify and treat Ebola and in how to properly use PPE and chlorine.
2)    50 community health workers, 100 faith leadears and 2500 key community stakeholders (such as traditional 
          leaders, village chiefs, teachers or women group leaders) who are respected by their communities and therefore 
          have an enormous outreach and impact on people's opinion and behaviour , are properly trained in delivering
          sensitzation messages on EVD prevention and  identification and in conducting community surveillance and 
          tracing for about 6.000 people in the 3 districts.
3)      Ebola treatment and/or isolation centers in the 3 districts are equipped with PPEs and chlorine
 
in order to reach about 6.000 people living in rural communities within the targeted districts, who have so far not been reached by any active organisation involved in the EVD response.

Sierra Leone reported the first case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) on May 25th and until the end of October 2014, 3,896 infections and 1,281 deaths had been registered. EVD has a fatality rate of up to 90% and no licensed treatment appropriate for  infected humans is available.  According to Sierra Leone's National Taks Force for EVD the lack of, amongst other:
a) culturally appropriate community awareness about EVD identification and protection, 
b) effective surveillance and reporting of EVD-infected people by the communities,
c) sufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and disinfectant (chlorine) as well as 
d) safe and culturally appropriate burial practices
are causing serious risks for a continued spread of EVD. 
 
This projects builds upon the ADA funded project "To Fight Ebola Epidemic in Sierra Leone" and seeks to contribute to the prevention and containment of EVD in Sierra Leone in 6 districts (Bo,Bonthe, Pujehun, Moyamba, Kono, Tonkolili), by aiming  to achieve the following results:
 1) 180 community health workers, 180 faith leaders and 2500 community stakeholders (such as traditional leaders, village chiefs, teachers or women group leaders) who are respected by their communities and thus have an enourmour outreach and  impact on people's opinion and behaviour, are properly trained in delivering EVD sensitization messages on how to prevent and identify EVD and in conducting community surveillance for about 14.150 people in the 6 targeted districts.
2) 180 Nurses are trained to prevent, identify and treat EVD and apply PPEs and chlorine properly.
3) Ebola treatment and/or isolation centers are equipped with 150 PPEs and 20kg chlorine.
4) Dead EVD victims are properly buried by 24 trained burial teams.
5) EVD affected and stigmatized people receive psycho-social support.
The intervention thus aims to reach a total of 17.430 people (3.280 who are being trained and 14.150 members of the community) .

To establish and strengthen influenza surveillance systems, knowledge and capacities for a timely and appropriate response to pandemic influenza

To support Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) with the COVID-19 pathogenic genomic sequencing initiative

Support Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) with the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the continent

To support the UK's New Variant Assessment Platform (NVAP) rollout to African Union Member States, to enhance the detection and subsequent assessment of SARS-CoV-2 variants

Support Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to undertake a rapid mortality survey to assess the impacts from COVID-19

Support Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and partners response to Covid-19

Support Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to develop and strengthen the Africa CDC Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Programme

Support Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) with the organisation and delivery of the Africa CDC virtual conference 'Africa's Leadership in COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Access'

Support Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to develop monitoring and evaluation of the Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing: Trace, Test and Track initiative

Support Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and partners to develop guidance for sero-surveillance surveys

Support Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and partners to develop and strengthen the African Volunteer Health Corps (AVoHC) for effective public health deployment for COVID-19 response

To support Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) with the development and implementation of COVID-19 guidance

"To support Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in strengthening the Public Health Emergency Operation Centres (PH EOC) for effective COVID-19 response across the African Union member states. "

Support Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) emergency preparedness for COVID-19