West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative (WADPI)

The deadly virus is passed on through contact with body fluids and killed more than 11,000 in ravaged western Africa and the US in 2014 and 2015.

The epidemic has now been declared over but researchers have monitored 450 survivors of both sexes for a year, testing tears, saliva, faeces, vaginal fluids and semen every three months thereafter.

Malian health authorities say they are searching for two women who left Guinea after having had contact with a recent Ebola case.

Dr. Keni Diarra, head doctor at the health center in Kenieba in the Kayes region, said Wednesday the two Guinean women came to Mali Sunday. He said they are suspected to be in Hamdallaye, a village in Kayes.

The World Health Organization says there have been eight cases of Ebola and seven deaths since late February in Guinea, flare-ups that came months after the nation was declared Ebola-free.

In Mali eight people were infected with Ebola and six of them died in 2014 before it was declared free from transmissions in January 2015.

More than 11,300 people, mostly in West Africa, have died from Ebola since December 2013.

In many African societies, traditional healers are solicited for many reasons. They are called healers or witch doctors for their talents in hunting evil spells and for their mastery of medicinal plants. They are listened to and respected by communities who have full confidence and trust in their skills. It is how these men and women earn a living.

During the Ebola epidemic response, traditional healers were quickly identified as key actors to help raise awareness about the disease in communities, particularly in remote areas where they maintain close relationships with the people they serve.

Doumbouya Idrissa is a traditional healer and President of the Traditional Healers Network of the Lower Guinea region in Guinea. Known as Simbo, which means “strong man” in Sussu, one of the local languages, he played a key role in the mobilization of traditional healers and their commitment to help end the outbreak through the sharing of knowledge on symptoms and preventive measures.

POSTED BY: PUBLISHER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER KABS KANU MAY 18, 2015