Sierra Leone and Liberia seek deliverance

People in Sierra Leone and Liberia yesterday filled churches to seek deliverance from an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, defying official warnings to avoid public gatherings to contain the epidemic that has killed nearly one thousand people in West Africa.

With their healthcare systems completely overrun, Sierra Leone and Liberia have both declared states of emergency to tackle the highly contagious disease, which has also stricken neighbouring Guinea.

Ebola, one of the deadliest diseases known to man, kills up to 90 percent of those infected.

Discovered nearly 40 years ago deep in the forests of Central Africa, its symptoms include internal and external bleeding, diarrhoea and vomiting.

A WHO Medical Ethics Committee will next week discuss the use of experimental drugs to tackle the outbreak after two US aid workers showed improvement after being treated with ZMapp, a drug developed by California-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical.

Source: NEWS24