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Ebola: ELWA 3 Ebola management centre to be handed over the Liberian Ministry of Health

30 Mar 2015
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Due to the decreased number of Ebola cases in Liberia, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is putting its activities on standby at ELWA 3 Ebola management centre in Monrovia. The facility is now being prepared for the handover to the Liberian Ministry of Health.

With a capacity of 250 beds at the peak of the outbreak in September-October 2014, ELWA 3 is the largest Ebola management centre ever built.

The cessation of activities will allow MSF to prepare the structure for the handover to the Liberian Ministry of Health, which will run the centre as a temporary treatment unit.

Ebola fight continues

Currently in Liberia there is only one confirmed Ebola patient, but the handover of ELWA 3 to the Liberian Ministry of Health does not represent the end of MSF’s engagement in Liberia and against Ebola.

“We know that we have not reached the end of the fight against Ebola in Liberia. Nevertheless we are pleased with the positive results that the country has achieved in turning the tide against the virus,” says Mariateresa Cacciapuoti, MSF emergency coordinator in Liberia.

“But we remain vigilant with a confirmed case in the country and many contacts to trace and monitor,” she adds.

“We must to adapt our operations to the evolution of context,”

“We continue to be vigilant and ready to respond in case the number of Ebola cases rises again. But we also must to reinforce access to medical care for non-Ebola patients. It is crucial to restore the health system.”

MSF health promotion and outreach

MSF’s health promotion and outreach activities will continue. A rapid response team is active and ready to react at national level in case of a resurgence of the virus.

Moreover, MSF is presently conducting emergency preparedness training in rapid isolation and treatment of Ebola (RITE) for county health teams including Bomi, Nimba, Grand Cape Mount and Montserrado counties.MSF in Liberia [H4]

MSF officially opened a 20 bed paediatric hospital in the municipality of Gardnersville, Monrovia, on 23 March that will increase up to 100 beds.

We are supporting 23 health facilities in Monrovia, and training our staff on infection prevention and control.

A team is also supporting the paediatric and maternal James Davis Junior Memorial (JDJ) Hospital in Neezoe community, Monrovia.

Since its opening in August 2014 until 10 March, a total of 1,917 patients were admitted to ELWA 3 - of which 1,234 tested positive for Ebola.

Of these confirmed patients, a total of 801 died and 512 recovered.

Find out more about MSF’s Ebola response