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Ebola virus epidemic in Liberia

An epidemic of Ebola virus disease occurred in Liberia from 2014 to 2015, along with the neighbouring countries of Guinea and Sierra Leone. The first cases of virus were reported by late March 2014.[2] The Ebola virus, a biosafety level four pathogen, is an RNA virus discovered in 1976.[3]

Cases contracted in Liberia

10,675 (as of 7 April 2016)[1]

4,809 (as of 7 April 2016)[1]

Before the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic the country had 50 doctors for its population of 4.3 million. The country's health system was seriously weakened by a civil war that ended in 2003.[4]

Healthcare capacity[edit]

Clinics[edit]

On 20 September 2014, Liberia opened the 150-bed Old Island Clinic on Bushrod Island in Monrovia.[35] Another clinic in Monrovia is a 160-bed facility staffed and run by Médecins Sans Frontières.[109] On 25 November China opened a "state of the art clinic" outside Monrovia. The 100-bed clinic was mostly staffed by Chinese medical and other personnel.[110]


JFK (John F. Kennedy Medical Center) is another treatment center, and could hold 35 beds but expanded to 75 because of the increasing demand for beds.[111] On 10 November, the U.S. opened the first of 17 Ebola treatment facilities it was building for Liberia, in Tubmanburg.[112]

The , a major Liberian newspaper, has repeatedly published Ebola-related conspiracy theories. In September, it published an article claiming that Ebola and the AIDS virus are genetically modified organisms to be used as bio-weapons on Africans in an attempt to reduce Africa's population.[126][127] In October, the story went viral on social media.[128]

Liberian Observer

In late October, it was reported that harassment of gay Liberians in Monrovia was occurring after some church leaders said that "God was angry with Liberians over corruption and immoral acts such as homosexuality, and that Ebola was a punishment". The harassment included car windows being smashed and some gay people being forced from their homes and into hiding.

[129]

"The Ebola outbreak was sparked by a bewitched aircraft that crashed in a remote part of Sierra Leone, casting a spell over three West African countries – but a heavily alcoholic drink called can cure the virus."[130]

bitter Kola

"Some members of the community thought it was a bad spirit, a devil or poisoning."

[131]

At the beginning of the outbreak, many did not believe that the disease existed. "I thought it was a lie (invented) to collect money because at that moment I hadn't seen people affected in my community."

[131]

. 5 July 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.NIH

"PREVAIL treatment trial for men with persistent Ebola viral RNA in semen opens in Liberia"

. www.niaid.nih.gov. National Institute of Health. Retrieved 18 August 2016.

"Media Availability: NIH Explores Connection Between Ebola Survival and Co-Infection with Malaria Parasites"

Soka, Moses (2016). . The Lancet. 4 (10): e736–e743. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(16)30175-9. PMID 27596037.

"Prevention of sexual transmission of Ebola in Liberia through a national semen testing and counselling programme for survivors: an analysis of Ebola virus RNA results and behavioural data"

Bausch, Daniel G; Crozier, Ian (August 2016). . The Lancet Global Health. 4 (10): e672–e673. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(16)30207-8. ISSN 2214-109X. PMID 27596040.

"The Liberia Men's Health Screening Program for Ebola virus: win-win-win for survivor, scientist, and public health"

Shoman, Haitham; Karafillakis, Emilie; Rawaf, Salman (4 January 2017). . Globalization and Health. 13 (1): 1. doi:10.1186/s12992-016-0224-2. ISSN 1744-8603. PMC 5210305. PMID 28049495.

"The link between the West African Ebola outbreak and health systems in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone: a systematic review"

Kennedy, Stephen B.; Bolay, Fatorma; Kieh, Mark; Grandits, Greg; Badio, Moses; Ballou, Ripley; Eckes, Risa; Feinberg, Mark; Follmann, Dean; Grund, Birgit; Gupta, Swati; Hensley, Lisa; Higgs, Elizabeth; Janosko, Krisztina; Johnson, Melvin; Kateh, Francis; Logue, James; Marchand, Jonathan; Monath, Thomas; Nason, Martha; Nyenswah, Tolbert; Roman, François; Stavale, Eric; Wolfson, Julian; Neaton, James D.; Lane, H. Clifford (12 October 2017). . New England Journal of Medicine. 377 (15): 1438–1447. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1614067. ISSN 0028-4793. PMC 5705229. PMID 29020589.

"Phase 2 Placebo-Controlled Trial of Two Vaccines to Prevent Ebola in Liberia"

. www.niaid.nih.gov. Retrieved 10 November 2017.

"Study to Examine Genetic Susceptibility to Ebola Launches in Liberia | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases"

Republic of Liberia

Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Ebola in Liberia

Control of Ebola Virus Disease – Firestone District, Liberia, 2014