ALERT Monthly Report – October 2015

The program's main focus was on cross-border surveillance, case management, and safe burial practices. In Bong County, the ALERT team conducted a post-Ebola awareness workshop with elementary and junior high students in border public schools. The workshop tested 82 students' knowledge on major signs and symptoms of EVD using CEBS posters and flashcards. The team also informed local leaders, Joint Security, and screeners/gCHVs about the scale-down plan of support to border surveillance. Inventory on assets distributed to community focal persons/gCHVs was taken to determine items to be returned before final incentive payments could be made. In Gbarpolu County, the ALERT team monitored and supervised community focal persons and Town Chiefs to ensure quality registration and screening of travelers and visitors. A total of 2,292 travelers were screened, and the team monitored and recorded GPS coordinates of six newly CLTS-triggered communities. Global Communities support for CEBS in Gbarpolu will stop by the end of November. In Grand Cape Mount County, the ALERT team conducted regular monitoring of border communities, focal persons, and triages to ensure that traveler records were being taken correctly in line with best practice. A total of 68,267 travelers passed through the Bo Waterside triage, and 4,429 were recorded entering Tewor and Porkpa Districts. Global Communities has stopped financial support for the nine triages, and IOM will take over support to some of these triages. The ALERT program also continued its efforts in Lofa County, where the team monitored 139 border communities to ensure that gCHVs were well-equipped and keeping track of all travelers. Three district-level meetings were held in Zorzor and Voinjama Districts, and two cluster-level meetings were held in Kolahun and Foya to continue EVD prevention awareness. A new strategy was put into place to deal with border issues during the Guinea election. CLTS was also a discussion point at these meetings, with many stakeholders pledging their support to see continued triggering and ODF verification. In Nimba County, the ALERT team continued its monitoring of border communities and BCPs within the Sanniquellie-mah and Gbehlay-Geh Health District. A total of 25 informal crossing points and three BCPs were monitored, with a total of 65 referrals reported from all communities. The team conducted four clustered community-level meetings on surveillance in Sanniquellie-mah and Gbehlay-Geh Health Districts, with the objective of increasing surveillance and promoting CLTS as a means of disease prevention. The ALERT program also supported case management activities in October 2015. In Montserrado County, Global Communities supported 253 burials compared to 236 in September. 238 (94%) were conducted within 24 hours of death, six (2.5%) between 24-48 hours, and nine (3.5%) after 48 hours of death. Global Communities also supported swab collection for 34 bodies outside of Montserrado County. In terms of safe burial practices, Global Communities conducted 169 safe burials at Disco Hill in October, bringing the total to 2,119. On average, Global Communities has conducted 191 burials per month since May. The roof is being put on the waiting hall at Disco Hill, and the team has brought in a water engineer to assess the water drainage situation and make suggestions and a plan to deal with runoff.