LIBERIA IN STATE OF EMERGENCY OVER EBOLA OUTBREAK

Monrovia - The outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus continues to be a huge challenge for Liberia, as the country continues to use medical means to tackle the deadly outbreak that has led to, 516 cases (143 confirmed, 252 probable, and 121 suspected), including 282 deaths, according to the World Health organization as of August 4 and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf after declaring the virus a national emergency and taking several measures has indicated that despite these measures, the virus continues to cause more harm to the people of Liberia and has therefore declared a state of emergency.

’32 Health Care Workers Deaths’

Said Sirleaf “With 32 deaths of health care workers, the death rate amongst citizens, especially amongst health care workers is very alarming, two weeks ago, I established a national task force which I chair myself to respond to this crisis and instructed all nonessential government staff to stay home for 30 days. Ordered the closure of schools and authorized the fumigation of all public buildings. We have shut markets in affected areas and have restricted movements in orders. We have improved our response time and contact tracking and began coordinating with regional and international partners. Despite these and continuing efforts the threats continue to grow, ignorance, poverty as well as entrenched religious and cultural practices continue to exacerbate the spread of the disease especially in the counties”.
President Sirleaf, in a state of the Nation address late Wednesday said the nature and extent of the increase in the death toll from the virus has put the health care delivery system of the country under intense pressure.

“The health care system in the country is now under immense strain and the Ebola epidemic is having a chilling effect on overall health delivery for the fear of being infected with the disease healthcare practitioners are afraid to accept new patients especially in community clinics all across the country. Consequently, many common diseases which especially prevalent during the rainy season such as, malaria, typhoid and common colds are going untreated and may lead to unnecessary and preventable deaths. The virus currently has no cure and has a fatality rate of over 90%. The aggregate number of patients confirmed, probable and suspected in Liberia has now exceeded 500 with about 271 cumulative deaths”.

The actions allowed by statute and public health law, President Sirleaf observed are no longer adequate to deal with the Ebola epidemic indicating that a comprehensive and holistic approached is required to deal with the scope and scale of the epidemic due to the virulent and deadliness of the virus which she stated has now exceeded the capacity and statutory responsibility of any one government agency or ministry.
“The Ebola virus disease the ramifications and consequences thereof, now constitute an unrest affecting the existing security and well being of the republic, amounting to a clear and present danger. The government and people of Liberia require extraordinary measures for the very survival of our state and for the protection of the rights of our people. Therefore, and by virtue of the power vested in me, as President of the Republic of Liberia, I, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia in keeping with Article 86 a and b of the constitution of the Republic of Liberia, hereby declare a state of emergency throughout the Republic of Liberia effective as of August 6, 2014 for a period of 90 days”