Emmanuel Ukudolo
Geneva – March 29, 2016 – The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for lifting of travel and trade bans on Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, three countries that have been mostly affected by the Ebola virus disease(EVD).
WHO made the revelation at the 9th meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa.
In the Committee’s view the Ebola situation in West Africa no longer constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and that the Temporary Recommendations adopted in response should now be terminated.
The Committee emphasized that there should be no restrictions on travel and trade with Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and that any such measures should be lifted immediately.
The Committee noted that since its last meeting all three countries have met the criteria for confirming interruption of their original chains of Ebola virus transmission.
“ Specifically, all three countries have now completed the 42 day observation period and additional 90 day enhanced surveillance period since their last case that was linked to the original chain of transmission twice tested negative. Guinea achieved this milestone on 27 March 2016”, WHO said.
WHO noted that national and international efforts must be intensified to ensure that male survivors can have their semen tested for virus persistence and know their status.
“Work must continue on the use of Ebola vaccination for intimate and close contacts of those survivors who have persistent virus excretion. Particularly important will be to ensure that communities can rapidly and fully engage in any future response, cases are quickly isolated and managed, local population movement in the affected areas is managed, and appropriate contact lists are shared with border authorities”, it noted.
The Committee further emphasized the crucial need for continued international donor and technical support to prevent, detect and respond rapidly to any new Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
