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89-510: Princess Christian Maternity hospital came under severe pressure during the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone . Scientific studies have shown that pregnant women are among the least likely to survive an onset of ebola , most likely because the mother's body lowers its immune response to prevent it rejecting the baby. In a previous outbreak in Zaire , 14 out of 15 pregnant women who contracted

178-491: A public health emergency of international concern, marking the second such declaration in the last two years due to the virus's transmission. The WHO's Constitution states that its objective "is the attainment by all people of the highest possible level of health". The WHO fulfils this objective through its functions as defined in its Constitution: As of 2012 , the WHO has defined its role in public health as follows: Since

267-507: A specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for global public health . It is headquartered in Geneva , Switzerland, and has six regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide. Only sovereign States can participate, and it is the largest intergovernmental health organization at the international level. The WHO's purpose is to achieve the highest possible level of health for all

356-473: A "hot" zone is hard to pass to a "safe" zone, because if there is any contamination it may bring Ebola into that area. One aspect of Sierra Leone that is alleged to have aided the disease, is the strong desire of many to have very involved funeral practices. For example, for the Kissi people who inhabit part of Sierra Leone, it is important to bury the bodies of the dead near them. Funeral practices include rubbing

445-495: A convention concerning the bubonic plague was signed by sixteen of the nineteen states attending the Venice conference. While Denmark , Sweden-Norway , and the US did not sign this convention, it was unanimously agreed that the work of the prior conferences should be codified for implementation. Subsequent conferences, from 1902 until the final one in 1938, widened the diseases of concern for

534-600: A disease that kills over 5,000 a year in Africa. He had expanded his clinic to accept Ebola patients. Sierra Leone's president, Ernest Bai Koroma, celebrated Khan as a "national hero". On 30 July, Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency and deployed troops to quarantine hot spots. In August, awareness campaigns in Freetown , Sierra Leone's capital, were delivered over the radio and through loudspeakers. Also in August, Sierra Leone passed

623-414: A higher rate of death with Ebola. Officials struggled to maintain order in one town after a medical team trying to take a blood sample from a corpse were blocked by an angry machete-wielding mob. They allegedly believed the person had died from high-blood pressure and did not want the body being tested for Ebola. When security forces tried to defend the medical team, a riot ensued leaving two dead. The town

712-467: A law that subjected anyone hiding someone believed to be infected to two years in jail. At the time the law was enacted, a top parliamentarian was critical of failures by neighboring countries to stop the outbreak. Also in early August Sierra Leone cancelled league football (soccer) matches. Within 2 days of 12 September 2014, there were 20 lab-confirmed cases discovered in Freetown, Sierra Leone. One issue

801-523: A leading role in several public health achievements, most notably the eradication of smallpox , the near- eradication of polio , and the development of an Ebola vaccine . Its current priorities include communicable diseases , such as HIV/AIDS , Ebola , malaria and tuberculosis ; non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer ; healthy diet , nutrition, and food security ; occupational health ; and substance abuse . The agency advocates for universal health care coverage, engagement with

890-419: A ministry spokesman. The move meant that a total of six districts, containing more than half of the population, were locked down. Sierra Leone indicated, in a report on 5 December, that about 100 cases of the virus were now being reported daily. On the same day, it was further reported that families caught taking part in burial washing rituals, which can spread the virus, would be taken to jail. On 6 December,

979-410: A popular food source for both humans and wildlife. The Gola forests in south-east Sierra Leone are a noted source of bushmeat. Bats are known to be carriers of at least 90 different viruses that can make transition to a human host. However, the virus has different symptoms in humans. It takes one to ten viruses to infect a human but there can be millions in a drop of blood from someone very sick from

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1068-580: A report indicated that the Canadian Armed Forces would send a medical team to the country of Sierra Leone to help combat the Ebola virus epidemic. On 8 December, the doctors in Sierra Leone went on strike, demanding better treatment for health care workers, according to Health Ministry spokesman Jonathan Abass Kamara. On 9 December, Sierra Leone authorities placed the Eastern Kono District in

1157-528: A resolution on disability prevention and rehabilitation , with a focus on community-driven care. 1977 and 1978: The first list of essential medicines was drawn up, and a year later the ambitious goal of " Health For All " was declared. 1986: The WHO began its global programme on HIV/AIDS . Two years later preventing discrimination against patients was attended to and in 1996 the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

1246-429: A resolution passed on the subject, Alger Hiss , the secretary general of the conference, recommended using a declaration to establish such an organization. Sze and other delegates lobbied and a declaration passed calling for an international conference on health. The use of the word "world", rather than "international", emphasized the truly global nature of what the organization was seeking to achieve. The constitution of

1335-412: A result, most people turn up at Ebola treatment centres thinking that they have Ebola, when actually they have malaria. It's a huge load on the system, as well as being a huge stress on patients and their families." Between 14 and 17 December Sierra Leone reported 403 new cases with a total of 8,759 cases on the latter date. On 25 December, Sierra Leone put the north area of the country on lockdown. By

1424-501: A series of conferences that took place until 1938, about 87 years. The first conference, in Paris, was almost solely concerned with cholera , which would remain the disease of major concern for the ISC for most of the 19th century. With the cause , origin, and communicability of many epidemic diseases still uncertain and a matter of scientific argument, international agreement on appropriate measures

1513-550: A significant infusion of financial and technical resources. The WHO's official mandate is to promote health and safety while helping the vulnerable worldwide. It provides technical assistance to countries, sets international health standards, collects data on global health issues, and serves as a forum for scientific or policy discussions related to health. Its official publication, the World Health Report , provides assessments of worldwide health topics. The WHO has played

1602-521: A three-day lockdown on its population from 19 to 21 September. During this period 28,500 trained community workers and volunteers went door-to-door providing information on how to prevent infection, as well as setting up community Ebola surveillance teams. The campaign was called the Ouse to Ouse Tock in Krio language . There was concern the 72-hour lock-down could backfire. On 22 September, Stephen Gaojia said that

1691-469: A two-week lock-down following the alarming rate of infection and deaths there. The lock down lasted until 23 December. This followed the grim discovery of bodies piling up in the district. The WHO reported fear of a major breakout in the area. The district with 350,000 inhabitants buried 87 bodies in 11 days, with 25 patients dying in 5 days before the WHO arrived. On 12 December, Sierra Leone banned all public festivities for Christmas or New Year, because of

1780-557: Is now on the verge of extinction, thanks to a Global Vaccination Drive. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated the eradication programme has saved millions from deadly disease. Between 1990 and 2010, WHO's help has contributed to a 40% decline in the number of deaths from tuberculosis, and since 2005, over 46 million people have been treated and an estimated 7 million lives saved through practices advocated by WHO. These include engaging national governments and their financing, early diagnosis, standardising treatment, monitoring of

1869-559: The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters was activated on Sierra Leone's behalf, the first time that its charitably repurposed satellite imaging assets had been deployed in an epidemiological role. On 14 October 2014, 800 Sierra Leone peacekeepers due to relieve a contingent deployed in Somalia , were placed under quarantine when one of the soldiers tested positive for Ebola. The last district in Sierra Leone untouched by

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1958-565: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and smaller organizations. As of 2011 , it has been working to immunize young children and prevent the re-emergence of cases in countries declared "polio-free". In 2017, a study was conducted as to why Polio Vaccines may not be enough to eradicate the Virus & conduct new technology. Polio

2047-815: The USSR , called on the World Health Assembly to undertake a global initiative to eradicate smallpox, resulting in Resolution WHA11.54. 1965: The first report on diabetes mellitus and the creation of the International Agency for Research on Cancer . 1966: The WHO moved its headquarters from the Ariana wing at the Palace of Nations to a newly constructed headquarters elsewhere in Geneva. 1967: The WHO intensified

2136-998: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Bank . 1975: The WHO launched the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical diseases (the TDR). Co-sponsored by UNICEF , UNDP, and the World Bank, it was established in response to a 1974 request from the WHA for an intensive effort to develop improved control of tropical diseases. The TDR's goals are, firstly, to support and coordinate international research into diagnosis, treatment and control of tropical diseases; and, secondly, to strengthen research capabilities within endemic countries. 1976: The WHA enacted

2225-572: The World Health Assembly finished on 24 July 1948, having secured a budget of US$ 5 million (then £1,250,000 ) for the 1949 year. G. Brock Chisholm was appointed director-general of the WHO, having served as executive secretary and a founding member during the planning stages, while Andrija Štampar was the assembly's first president. Its first priorities were to control the spread of malaria , tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections , and to improve maternal and child health , nutrition and environmental hygiene. Its first legislative act

2314-542: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as one of the top three risk factors for contracting Ebola, along with contact with a family member with Ebola or providing medical care to someone with a case of Ebola virus disease. The main start of the outbreak in Sierra Leone was linked to a single funeral in which the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates as many as 365 died from Ebola disease after getting

2403-450: The Ebola virus declared Ebola cases. According to Abdul Sesay, a local health official, 15 suspected deaths with 2 confirmed cases of the deadly disease were reported on 16 October, in the village of Fakonya. The village is 60 miles from the town of Kabala in the center of the mountainous region of the Koinadugu district. This was the last district free from the virus in Sierra Leone. All of

2492-544: The Health Organization of the League of Nations. After World War II , the United Nations absorbed all the other health organizations, to form the WHO. During the 1945 United Nations Conference on International Organization, Szeming Sze , a delegate from China, conferred with Norwegian and Brazilian delegates on creating an international health organization under the auspices of the new United Nations. After failing to get

2581-655: The ISC, and included discussions of responses to yellow fever , brucellosis , leprosy , tuberculosis , and typhoid . In part as a result of the successes of the Conferences, the Pan-American Sanitary Bureau (1902), and the Office International d'Hygiène Publique or " International office of Public Hygiene " in english(1907) were soon founded. When the League of Nations was formed in 1920, it established

2670-547: The United Kingdom announced plans to build three more Ebola laboratories in Sierra Leone. The labs helped to determine if a patient had been infected by the Ebola virus. At that time, it took as much as five days to test a sample because of the volume of samples that needed to be tested. On 2 November, a person with Ebola employed by the United Nations was evacuated from Sierra Leone to France for treatment. On 4 November, it

2759-578: The United Nations together with the exchange of letters related thereto, and taking into account the respective co-ordinating responsibilities of both organizations, it is recognized by the World Health Organization that the International Atomic Energy Agency has the primary responsibility for encouraging, assisting and co-ordinating research and development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful uses throughout

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2848-480: The WHO over the organization's unwillingness to share the penicillin recipe. They would not return until 1956. 1950: A mass tuberculosis inoculation drive using the BCG vaccine gets under way. 1955: The malaria eradication programme was launched, although objectives were later modified. (In most areas, the programme goals became control instead of eradication.) 1958: Viktor Zhdanov , Deputy Minister of Health for

2937-590: The WHO was to report as to whether RTS,S /AS01, were a viable malaria vaccine . For the time being, insecticide -treated mosquito nets and insecticide sprays are used to prevent the spread of malaria, as are antimalarial drugs – particularly to vulnerable people such as pregnant women and young children. In 1988, WHO launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to eradicate polio . It has also been successful in helping to reduce cases by 99% since WHO partnered with Rotary International ,

3026-425: The WHO's role and priorities in public health, ranging from narrowing its mandate to strengthening its independence and authority. During the 1970s, WHO had dropped its commitment to a global malaria eradication campaign as too ambitious, it retained a strong commitment to malaria control. WHO's Global Malaria Programme works to keep track of malaria cases, and future problems in malaria control schemes. As of 2012,

3115-498: The World Health Organization was signed by all 51 countries of the United Nations, and by 10 other countries, on 22 July 1946. It thus became the first specialized agency of the United Nations to which every member subscribed. Its constitution formally came into force on the first World Health Day on 7 April 1948, when it was ratified by the 26th member state. The WHO formally began its work in September 1, 1948. The first meeting of

3204-674: The actual number of losses was known to be higher. Sierra Leone was considering making reduced care clinics, to stop those sick with Ebola from getting their families sick with the disease and to provide something in between home-care and the full-care clinics. These "isolation centers" would provide an alternative to the overwhelmed clinics. The problem the country was facing was 726 new Ebola cases but less than 330 beds available. More than 160 additional medical personnel from Cuba arrived in early October, building on about 60 that had been there since September. At that time there were about 327 beds for patients in Sierra Leone. Canada announced it

3293-455: The arrival of US researchers into the area. "After Ebola was first confirmed by laboratory tests in mid-March 2014, persistent rumours in the region linked the outbreak to a US-run research laboratory in Kenema, Sierra Leone (Wilkinson, 2017) ." Two U.S. doctors who "followed all CDC and WHO protocols to the letter" contracted Ebola, and it is not clear how they got infected. By 27 May 2014, it

3382-565: The basis for global prevention, treatment, and support the plan to fight the AIDS pandemic . 2006: The WHO launches the Global action plan for influenza vaccines 2016: The Global action plan for influenza vaccines ends with a report which concludes that while substantial progress has been made over the 10 years of the Plan, the world is still not ready to respond to an influenza pandemic. 2016: Following

3471-424: The budget and activities. The WHO is funded primarily by contributions from member states (both assessed and voluntary), followed by private donors. Its total approved budget for 2020–2021 is over $ 7.2 billion, while the approved budget for 2022–2023 is over $ 6.2 billion. The budget is $ 6.83 billion for 2024–2025. The International Sanitary Conferences (ISC), the first of which was held on 23 June 1851, were

3560-606: The chance of the crew contracting Ebola virus disease. The Neini Chiefdom in Koinadugu District was subject to isolation after Ebola cases. On 19 November, it was reported that the Ebola virus was spreading intensely; "much of this was driven by intense transmission in the country's west and north", the WHO said. A British-built Ebola Treatment Centre which started in Kerry Town during November, generated some controversy because of its initially limited capacity. However, this

3649-611: The continuing effects of nuclear disasters in Chernobyl and Fukushima . They believe WHO must regain what they see as independence. Independent WHO held a weekly vigil from 2007 to 2017 in front of WHO headquarters. However, as pointed out by Foreman in clause 2 it states: In particular, and in accordance with the Constitution of the World Health Organization and the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency and its agreement with

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3738-448: The corpses down with oil, dressing them in fine clothes, then having those at the funeral hug and kiss the dead body. This may aid the transmission of Ebola, because those that die from Ebola disease are thought to have high concentrations of the virus in their body, even after they have died. For the 2001 outbreak of Sudan virus in Uganda, attending a funeral of an Ebola victim was rated by

3827-592: The country declared a state of emergency in the Kailahun District , where it announced the closure of schools, cinemas, and nightlife places; the district borders both Guinea and Liberia, and all vehicles would be subject to screening at checkpoints. The government declared on 11 June, that its country's borders would be closed to Guinea and Liberia; but many local people cross the borders on unofficial routes which were difficult for authorities to control. Seasonal rains that fall between June and August interfered with

3916-638: The disease at the funeral. Bushmeat has also been implicated in spreading Ebola disease, either by handling the raw meat or through droppings from the animals. It is the raw blood and meat that is thought to be more dangerous, so it is those that hunt and butcher the raw meat that are more at risk as opposed to cooked meat sold at market. Health care workers in Sierra Leone have been warned not to go to markets. In late March 2014, there were suspected but not confirmed cases in Sierra Leone. The government announced on 31 March 2014, that there were no cases in Sierra Leone. Cases initially started appearing soon after

4005-451: The disease died. With the country's health facilities completely overrun and already unable to cope with the patient numbers, the authorities decided to place pregnant women last in the queue for treatment, and also segregated them from other ebola patients, under the assumption that there was little that could be done to save them. Most of the pregnant ebola patients were sent to Princess Christian, but with health resources committed elsewhere,

4094-506: The disease. Transmission is believed to be by contact with the blood and body fluids of those infected with the virus, as well as by handling raw bushmeat such as bats and monkeys, which are important sources of protein in West Africa. Infectious body fluids include blood, sweat, semen, breast milk, saliva, tears, feces, urine, vaginal secretions, vomit, and diarrhea. Even after a successful recovery from an Ebola infection, semen may contain

4183-487: The districts in this country had then confirmed cases of Ebola. In late October 2014, the United Kingdom sent one of their hospital ships, the Royal Navy's Argus , to help Sierra Leone. By late October Sierra Leone was experiencing more than twenty deaths a day from Ebola. In October 2014, officials reported that very few pregnant women were surviving Ebola disease. In previous outbreaks pregnant women were noted to have

4272-454: The end of December Sierra Leone again reported a surge in numbers, with 9,446 cases reported. On 29 December 2014, Pauline Cafferkey , a British aid worker who had just returned to Glasgow from working at the treatment centre in Kerry Town, was diagnosed with Ebola at Glasgow's Gartnavel General Hospital . World Health Organization The World Health Organization ( WHO ) is

4361-402: The equivalent of 532 beds. Experts pushed for a greater response at this time noting that it could destroy Sierra Leone and Liberia. At that time it was estimated that if it spread through both Liberia and Sierra Leone up to 5 million could be killed; the population of Liberia is about 4.3 million and Sierra Leone is about 6.1 million. In an attempt to control the disease, Sierra Leone imposed

4450-418: The equivalent of 532 beds. There were reports that political interference and administrative incompetence had hindered the flow of medical supplies into the country. By 2 October 2014, an estimated 5 people per hour were being infected with the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone. By this time it was estimated the number of infected had been doubling every 20 days. On 4 October, Sierra Leone recorded 121 fatalities,

4539-589: The establishment of international standards for biological products. The WHO was established on April 7, 1948, and formally began its work on September 1, 1948. It incorporated the assets, personnel, and duties of the League of Nations ' Health Organization and the Paris-based Office International d'Hygiène Publique , including the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The agency's work began in earnest in 1951 after

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4628-455: The estimate that by January 2015 the number of cases in Liberia and Sierra Leone could grow to 1.4 million. On 25 September, there were 1940 cases and 587 deaths officially, however, many acknowledged under-reporting and there was an increasing number of cases in Freetown (the capital of Sierra Leone). WHO estimated on 21 September, that Sierra Leone's capacity to treat Ebola cases fell short by

4717-586: The fiftieth anniversary of WHO's founding. He, did, however, accept that more had to be done to assist maternal health and that progress in this area had been slow. 2000: The Stop TB Partnership was created along with the UN's formulation of the Millennium Development Goals . 2001: The measles initiative was formed, and credited with reducing global deaths from the disease by 68% by 2007. 2002: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

4806-646: The fight against Ebola, and in some cases caused flooding in Sierra Leone. By 11 July 2014, the first case was reported in the capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown, however the person had traveled to the capital from another area of the country. By this time there were over 300 confirmed cases and 99 were confirmed to have died from Ebola. There was another case before the end of the month. On 29 July, well-known physician Sheik Umar Khan , Sierra Leone's only expert on hemorrhagic fever, died after contracting Ebola at his clinic in Kenema . Khan had long worked with Lassa fever ,

4895-449: The flow of medical supplies into the country. In the week prior to 2 October there were 765 new cases, and Ebola was spreading rapidly. At the start of October, there were nearly 2200 laboratory confirmed cases of Ebola and over 600 had died from it. The epidemic also had claimed the life of 4 doctors and at least 60 nurses by the end of September 2014. Sierra Leone limited its reported deaths to laboratory confirmed cases in facilities, so

4984-449: The global smallpox eradication campaign by contributing $ 2.4 million annually to the effort and adopted a new disease surveillance method, at a time when 2 million people were dying from smallpox per year. The initial problem the WHO team faced was inadequate reporting of smallpox cases. WHO established a network of consultants who assisted countries in setting up surveillance and containment activities. The WHO also helped contain

5073-541: The hospital was severely neglected and conditions were so bad that the United Nations proposed closing the hospital altogether. This article about a Sierra Leonean building or structure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This hospital in Africa related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone An Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone occurred in 2014, along with

5162-526: The infected region. On 29 November, the President of Sierra Leone canceled a planned three-day shutdown in Freetown to curb the virus. On 2 December, it was reported that the Tonkolili district had begun a two-week lockdown, "which was agreed in a key stakeholders meeting of cabinet ministers, parliamentarians and paramount chiefs of the district as part of efforts to stem the spread of the disease", according to

5251-553: The largest number in a single day. On 8 October, Sierra Leone burial crews went on strike. On 12 October, it was reported that the UK would begin providing military support to Sierra Leone in addition to a major UK civilian operation in support of the Government of Sierra Leone. In October, it was noted hospitals were running out of supplies in Sierra Leone. There were reports that political interference and administrative incompetence hindered

5340-405: The largest-ever distribution of antimalarials in Sierra Leone. Teams distributed 1.5 million antimalarial treatments in Freetown and surrounding districts with the aim of protecting people from malaria during the disease's peak season. A spokesman said "In the context of Ebola, malaria is a major concern, because people who are sick with malaria have the same symptoms as people sick with Ebola. As

5429-526: The last European outbreak in Yugoslavia in 1972 . After over two decades of fighting smallpox, a Global Commission declared in 1979 that the disease had been eradicated – the first disease in history to be eliminated by human effort. 1974: The Expanded Programme on Immunization and the control programme of onchocerciasis was started, an important partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),

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5518-449: The late 20th century, the rise of new actors engaged in global health—such as the World Bank , the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief ( PEPFAR ) and dozens of public-private partnerships for global health—have weakened the WHO's role as a coordinator and policy leader in the field; subsequently, there are various proposals to reform or reorient

5607-477: The monitoring of public health risks, coordinating responses to health emergencies, and promoting health and well-being generally. The WHO is governed by the World Health Assembly (WHA), which is composed of its 194 member states. The WHA elects and advises an executive board made up of 34 health specialists; selects the WHO's chief administrator, the director-general (currently Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia ); sets goals and priorities; and approves

5696-473: The neighbouring countries of Guinea and Liberia . At the time it was discovered, it was thought that Ebola virus was not endemic to Sierra Leone or to the West African region and that the epidemic represented the first time the virus was discovered there. However, US researchers pointed to lab samples used for Lassa fever testing to suggest that Ebola had been in Sierra Leone as early as 2006. In 2014, it

5785-470: The other organization has or may have a substantial interest, the first party shall consult the other with a view to adjusting the matter by mutual agreement. The nature of this statement has led some groups and activists including Women in Europe for a Common Future to claim that the WHO is restricted in its ability to investigate the effects on human health of radiation caused by the use of nuclear power and

5874-496: The outbreak. On 13 December, it was reported that the first Australian facility had been opened; "operations will be gradually scaled up to full capacity at 100 beds under strict guidelines to ensure infection control procedures are working effectively and trained staff ... are in place", one source indicated. Médecins Sans Frontières /Doctors Without Borders, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, carried out during December

5963-546: The perceived failure of the response to the West Africa Ebola outbreak , the World Health Emergencies programme was formed, changing the WHO from just being a "normative" agency to one that responds operationally to health emergencies. 2020: the World Health Organization announced that it had classified the novel coronavirus outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern. The novel coronavirus

6052-654: The spread. The districts included Port Loko , Bombali , and Moyamba . In the capital, Freetown, all homes with identified cases would be quarantined. This brought the total areas under isolation to 5, including the outbreak "hot spots" Kenema and Kailahun which were already in isolation. Only deliveries and essential services would be allowed in and out. A sharp rise in cases in these areas was also noted by WHO. As of late September, about 2 million people were in areas of restricted travel, which included Kailahun, Kenema, Bombali, Tonkolili, and Port Loko Districts. The number of cases seemed to be doubling every 20 days, which led to

6141-527: The three-day lock down had obtained its objective and would not be extended. Eighty percent of targeted households were reached in the operation. A total of around 150 new cases were uncovered, but the exact figures would only be known on the following Thursday as the health ministry was still awaiting reports from remote locations. One incident during the lock-down was when a burial team was attacked. On 24 September, President Ernest Bai Koroma added three more districts under "isolation", in an effort to contain

6230-439: The virus for at least two months. Breast milk may contain the virus for two weeks after recovery, and transmission of the disease to a consumer of the breast milk may be possible. By October 2014, it was suspected that handling a piece of contaminated paper may be enough to contract the disease. Contamination on paper makes it harder to keep records in Ebola clinics, as data about patients written on paper that gets written down in

6319-488: The world without prejudice to the right of the World Health Organization to concern itself with promoting, developing, assisting and co-ordinating international health work, including research, in all its aspects. The key text is highlighted in bold, the agreement in clause 2 states that the WHO is free to perform any health-related work. 1947: The WHO established an epidemiological information service via telex . 1949: The Soviet Union and its constituent republics quit

6408-407: The world's people, defining health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." The main functions of the World Health Organization include: to promote the control of epidemic and endemic diseases; to provide and improve the teaching and training in public health, the medical treatment of disease and related matters; and to promote

6497-414: Was 941,000. By 18 September 2014, teams of people that buried the dead were struggling to keep up, as 20–30 bodies needed to be buried each day. The teams drove on motor-bikes to collect samples from corpses to see if they died from Ebola. Freetown, Sierra Leone had one laboratory that could do Ebola testing. WHO estimated on 21 September, that Sierra Leone's capacity to treat Ebola cases fell short by

6586-500: Was a new strain of coronavirus that had never been detected in humans before. The WHO named this new coronavirus " COVID-19 " or "2019-nCov". 2022: The WHO suggests formation of a Global Health Emergency Council, with a new global health emergency workforce, and recommends revision of the International Health Regulations. 2024: WHO has declared the spread of mpox (formerly monkeypox) in several African countries

6675-521: Was because they were following guidelines of how to safely open an Ebola treatment unit. This was the first of six planned treatment centres which, when completed, would be staffed by a number of NGOs . In mid-November the WHO reported that while all cases and deaths continued to be under-reported, "there is some evidence that case incidence is no longer increasing nationally in Guinea and Liberia, but steep increases persist in Sierra Leone". On 19 November, it

6764-526: Was concerning the compilation of accurate statistics on the spread and morbidity of disease. The logo of the World Health Organization features the Rod of Asclepius as a symbol for healing. In 1959, the WHO signed Agreement WHA 12–40 with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which says: whenever either organization proposes to initiate a programme or activity on a subject in which

6853-469: Was difficult to reach. Seven of these international conferences, spanning 41 years, were convened before any resulted in a multi-state international agreement. The seventh conference, in Venice in 1892, finally resulted in a convention. It was concerned only with the sanitary control of shipping traversing the Suez Canal , and was an effort to guard against importation of cholera. Five years later, in 1897,

6942-455: Was discovered that samples of suspected Lassa fever showed evidence of the Zaire strain of Ebola virus in Sierra Leone as early as 2006. Prior to the current Zaire strain outbreak in 2014, Ebola had not really been seen in Sierra Leone, or even in West Africa among humans. It is suspected that fruit bats are natural carriers of disease, native to this region of Africa including Sierra Leone and also

7031-416: Was drawn up to improve the resources available. 2005: The WHO revises International Health Regulations (IHR) in light of emerging health threats and the experience of the 2002/3 SARS epidemic , authorizing WHO, among other things, to declare a health threat a Public Health Emergency of International Concern . 2006: The WHO endorsed the world's first official HIV/AIDS Toolkit for Zimbabwe, which formed

7120-698: Was formed. 1988: The Global Polio Eradication Initiative was established. 1995: The WHO established an independent International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication (Guinea worm disease eradication; ICCDE). The ICCDE recommends to the WHO which countries fulfil requirements for certification. It also has role in advising on progress made towards elimination of transmission and processes for verification. 1998: The WHO's director-general highlighted gains in child survival, reduced infant mortality , increased life expectancy and reduced rates of "scourges" such as smallpox and polio on

7209-517: Was in addition to the June hotline originally established. On 12 November, more than 400 health workers went on strike over salary issues at one of the few Ebola treatment centers in the country. On 18 November, the supply ship Karel Doorman of the Royal Netherlands Navy ( Koninklijke Marine ) arrived in Freetown, with supplies. Its Captain-Commander, Peter van den Berg, took steps to reduce

7298-401: Was not enough money to evacuate them. Meanwhile, other diseases like malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea were not being treated properly because the health system was trying to deal with Ebola patients. On 7 October 2014, Canada sent a C-130 loaded with 128,000 face shields to Freetown. In early October 2014, a burial team leader said there were piles of corpses south of Freetown. On 9 October,

7387-415: Was overwhelmed. At that hospital, 12 nurses died despite having the world's only Lassa fever isolation ward, according to the U.N. Many health are workers were infected at the state hospital, including beloved physician and hemorrhagic fever expert, Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan, and chief nurse Mbalu Fonnie. Khan and his colleagues had bravely provided care to patients with this devastating illness. On 12 June,

7476-715: Was placed on a 24-hour curfew and authorities tried to calm the situation down. Despite this several buildings were attacked. On 30 October, the ship Argus arrived in Sierra Leone. It carried 32 off-road vehicles to support Ebola treatment units. The ship also carried three transport helicopters to support operations against the epidemic. By the end of October 2014 there were over 5200 laboratory confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease in Sierra Leone. On 31 October 2014, an ambulance driver in Bo District died of Ebola. His ambulance picked up Ebola patients (or suspected Ebola cases) and took them to treatment centers. On 1 November,

7565-428: Was reported 5 people died from the Ebola virus and there were 16 new cases of the disease. Between 27 May 2014, and 30 May the number of confirmed, probable, or suspected cases of Ebola went from 16 to 50. By 9 June, the number of cases had risen to 42 known and 113 being tested, with a total of 16 known to have died from the disease by that time. The disease spread rapidly in Kenema, and the local government hospital

7654-455: Was reported that the Ebola virus was spreading intensely; "much of this was driven by intense transmission in the country's west and north", the WHO said. The first Cuban doctor to be infected with the virus was flown to Geneva. On 26 November, it was reported that due to Sierra Leone's increased Ebola transmission, the country would surpass Liberia in the total cases count. On 27 November, Canada announced it would deploy military health staff to

7743-685: Was reported that thousands violated quarantine in search for food, in the town of Kenema. On 6 November, it was reported that the situation was "getting worse" due to "intense transmission" in Freetown as a contributing factor; the capital city reported 115 cases in the previous week alone. Food shortages and aggressive quarantines were reported to be making the situation worse, according to the Disaster Emergency Committee. Sierra Leone established call centers in Port Loko and Kambia, according to MSSL Communications as reported on 21 November; this

7832-417: Was sending a 2nd mobile lab and more staff to Sierra Leone on 4 October 2014. There were reports of drunken grave-diggers making graves for Ebola patients too shallow, and as a result wildlife came and dug up and ate at the corpses. In addition, in some cases bodies were not buried for days, because no one came to collect them. One problem was that it was hard to care for local health care workers, and there

7921-474: Was that residents were leaving dead bodies in the street. By 6 September 2014, there were 60 cases of Ebola in Freetown, out of about 1100 nationwide at this time. However, not everyone was bringing cases to doctors, and they were not always being treated. One doctor said the Freetown health system was not functioning, and during this time, respected Freetown Doctor Olivette Buck fell ill and died from Ebola by 14 September 2014. The population of Freetown in 2011

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