Sierra Leone kicks off new campaign aimed at zero case of Ebola

The second phase of the Western Area Surge in Sierra Leone kicked off Monday aimed at reducing the Ebola Virus Disease to zero case in the capital Freetown and its environs.

According to the CEO of the National Ebola Response Center (NERC), the rationale for the second phase is to halt the transmission of the disease and to build on the success gained in the first phase held from Dec. 17, 2014 to Jan. 15, 2015.

Palo Conteh told the media Monday the overall situation in the Western Area has improved dramatically, but that "does not mean we should be complacent" as there are areas that need "refinement, review and restructuring."

He reported that during the first phase in December last year, 9,334 sick people were identified and brought to the hospital, of which 263 were tested positive and referred to treatment centers.

Large billboards on Ebola awareness were seen Monday morning mounted in strategic areas of the city, whilst campaign teams crossed the city with Ebola messages. One of the campaign teams told Xinhua that the exercise is to intensify the momentum achieved in the first phase.

About 20,000 health workers have been engaged together with a similar number of community mobilizers to patrol the entire western urban and rural area of the city to continue to sensitize more than 1 million residents in Freetown. Loudspeakers mounted on vehicles carrying the message of safe burials and avoiding body to body touch.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma ended a tour of six districts on his social mobilization exercise. Endi