Liberia

MILITARY TIMES By Andrew Tilghman                                                                                Dec. 19, 2014
Thousands of troops deployed to West Africa to help contain the Ebola virus will have to wait a few more weeks to find out whether the policy of 21-day quarantines after their redeployment will continue, military officials said.

The Pentagon has granted an extension on the deadline for reviewing the controversial rule requiring a 21-day, post-deployment quarantine. The review will now be completed by Jan. 30, 2015.

When Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced the quarantine on Oct. 29, he ordered military officials to conduct a review within 45 days to determine whether it was effective and necessary.

That review was due on Dec. 12, but Hagel granted a seven-week extension following a request from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey.

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NEW YORK TIMES SUNDAY REVIEW   by Jeffrey Gettleman                                            Dec. 21, 2014

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone --
...Ebola, however much some of its symptoms conjure up a horror film, is usually shockingly simple to treat. The virus is swift and ruthless, hideous and creepy, causing some patients to have bloody vomit, bloody diarrhea or even — in severe cases — bloody eyeballs. Ebola is one of the handful of viruses than can trigger a hemorrhagic fever, with internal bleeding, but in most cases the biggest threat is dehydration, which can be addressed by clean water and basic drugs.

The Guardian    by Chris Johnston                                        Dec. 20, 2014

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FREETOWN, Sierra Leone --The death toll from the worst ever outbreak of Ebola has reached nearly 7,400, with just over 19,000 people infected across west Africa, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, addresses health workers in Sierra Leone. Photograph: Evan Schneider/AFP/Getty Images

Sierra Leone reported 400 new fatalities this week, bringing the death toll there to 2,500. As of 18 December, it had the highest number of people infected by the virus – 8,800 cases, of which 6,900 were confirmed, according to the country’s health ministry.

The WHO is attempting to curb an outbreak in the west of the country, where the disease is spreading fastest, by sending a “massive surge of staff and resources” to the area.

TIME MAGAZINE by ALexandra Sifferlin                                                                            Dec. 19, 2014

In 2015, the three Ebola-affected countries will start offering cash payments for families hit by Ebola, as well as survivors having trouble re-acclimating to society out of stigma for the disease.

Dudu Kromah’s husband died from Ebola. She is looking after ten children, many of them orphans including a 3-month-old baby. She has no income. Carly Learson—Carly Learson / UNDP

Every aspect of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone’s societies have taken a hit from Ebola, and the disease has shocked what were once fragile but growing economies....Every aspect of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone’s societies

“We are seeing a backwards slide of development of about 10 years,” says Boaz Paldi, chief of media and advocacy at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). “The outlook is not good. We are fearful for these countries.”