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defeating ebola

A sign at the entrance of the Ebola Treatment Center of Moyamba district, built by the UK Royal Army in Moyamba city, funded by the UK Department for International Development and run by the NGOs Medicos del Mundo Spain and Doctors of the world UK. The French NGO Solidarites International was in charge of the water, sanitation and hygiene aspects, including the infection prevention control. The Ministry of health of Norway provided the hospital with nurses and doctors. The laboratory was managed by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of Atlanta, EEUU. Moyamba is the capital and largest city of Moyamba District, in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone, with a population of approximately 18.000 people, the district includes a population of around 300.000 people. The facility was opened the 17th of December of 2014 and closed as Ebola treatment center the 31th March of 2015. Ebola Treatment Center. Moyamba. Sierra Leone. Part of the hygienist team managed by Solidarites International, in the picture they are attending a formal meeting. From left to right, Sulaiman, Haruna, Vandy, Ibrahim, Dauda, Festus, Mohamed, John, Patrick, Augustine, Umaru, and Ibrahim Bah. The hygienists are workers of the Ebola treatment center who face the most dangerous tasks in the high risk contagion areas; like the morgue, the triage and the wards and toilets of patients. They are in charge of the infection prevention control; it includes the disinfection, cleaning, ambulance arrival, admission of patients, dead body management and support to medical workers. Ebola Treatment Center. Moyamba. Sierra Leone. Hakon, the Norwegian doctor in charge of the medical team, standing in the border line of the high risk contagion area with medium risk area. He is showing a list of symptoms of a patient, this paper is always photographed by a nurse, so the medical office can get all the information. The reason is that no one item can be carried back from the high risk zone (triage, ambulances bay, patient´s area and morgue) without a long soaking in chlorine solution. In general, with the exception of some of the Ebola protective clothing items, all the things which enter in the high risk area are burnt inside it. Ebola Treatment Center. Moyamba. Sierra Leone. In the middle, José, the psychologist in charge of the psychosocial team, is speaking with the nurses during a training for the admission of children alone. The Ebola protective clothing meant a big barrier in the relation with patients and their tranquility. In the case of children, reduce their fear and relax them was not an easy goal, specially having into account the conditions of these kids at the time of arrive at the hospital. Ebola Treatment Center. Moyamba. Sierra Leone. Inside the high risk zone, the doctor is supported by a nurse from the low risk zone. In the case that there is some medicines or some medical items to bring inside after check the patients, the nurse can pass it through the fence. Ebola Treatment Center. Moyamba. Sierra Leone. Colombe Bricogne during the dressing process in the dressing room. She is working for the French NGO Solidarites International as A Laundry officer in the drying area. The boots and gloves are part of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). After a soaking of 30 minutes in chlorine solution, boots and gloves are dried under the sun on these A view of the triage room in the high risk zone from a methacrylate spoiled by the chlorine solution used for disinfection. A team of hygienist with a folding stretcher is discussing their strategy to complete their task in the best possible way. Communicate and move wearing the protective clothing is not an easy business, usually the hygienist teams draw up a plan together with the nurses before entering in the high risk zone. Ebola Treatment Center. Moyamba. Sierra Leone. From the Triage, separated by a methacrylate from the high risk zone, doctor and nurse interview the patient with the help of another nurse in the other side of the window. With this interview, the doctor can get the details of the patient´s symptoms and direct him, with the help of the nurses, to the most appropriate ward: suspect, probable or confirm. The other staffs on full protective equipment are hygienist; they are in charge of ensuring the infection control during the activities inside the red zone (high risk zone). Ebola Treatment Center. Moyamba. Sierra Leone. Gbassay Koroma, 6 years old, surrounded by hospital staff, waiting to be discharged after get two negative Ebola tests. She was admitted in the Center together with 15 members more of her family in a special prevention medical operation carried out in a small village where there was a family with several sick people with same symptoms to Ebola. Ebola Treatment Center. Moyamba. Sierra Leone. Fatima Kargbo, 5 years old, is waiting to be discharged after get two negative Ebola tests and spend one week in the hospital. When a patient is discharged, the hospital gives them a “Solidarity Kit” with clothes, hygiene items, money in the case of adults and puppets in the case of children. Ebola Treatment Center. Moyamba. Sierra Leone. Abu Bakar, first male ebola survivor in Moyamba district in front of the Abu Bakar in front of the A moment of celebration during the discharge of Hawa Kargbo, the last Ebola survivor of Moyamba district. Hygienists and medical staff celebrate dancing and singing her recovery. At that time the number of new cases of Ebola in the country decreased significantly, and in Moyamba district went down almost to zero. It was a moment when the workers felt fully rewarded their exhausting efforts to defeat Ebola. Ebola Treatment Center. Moyamba. Sierra Leone. During her discharge, Hawa Kargbo,celebretes together with nurses, hygienists and the psychosocial team, that she could survive to the Ebola Virus Desease. Ebola Treatement Center. Moyamba. Sierra Leone. The 17th of February of 2015, the last Ebola survivor of Moyamba district was discharged after three weeks of recovery. Hawa Kargbo poses showing her Ebola Survivor Certificate, a document which helps to reduce the social exclusion that often these persons suffer within their communities. Behind her, the hand´s outlines of other survivors and their names in the