USG Humanitarian Assistance to EVD Outbreak Response to Date in FY 2014 & FY 2015

Guinea and Sierra Leone also reported the lowest number of new cases since August. Despite this progress, Nabarro noted that additional efforts are required to end the current outbreak, citing at least 50 areas where clusters of new cases persist. The Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) recently launched the second phase of Western Area surge operations, which primarily focuses on increasing community awareness of EVD and mobilizing communities to support response efforts. This phase is a core component of the National Ebola Response Center's (NERC) strategy to meet the national goal of significantly reducing the EVD caseload by late February and reaching zero new confirmed EVD cases by May. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), EVD cases continue to decline in Guinea, with 38 total laboratory-confirmed cases recorded for the period of January 5 to 11—a nearly 46 percent decrease from the previous week's total of 70. Most of Guinea's prefectures showed fewer or no cases, although authorities noted increases in confirmed cases in the Coyah, Faranah, and Forecariah prefectures. The US Government (USG) has provided significant humanitarian assistance to the EVD outbreak response in West Africa. As of January 21, 2015, the total USG funding for the response was $952,589,254. This includes funding from USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), USAID's Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP), USAID's Bureau for Global Health (USAID/GH), the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The USG assistance to the West Africa EVD outbreak response has been instrumental in supporting the efforts of the affected countries, including Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. The assistance has focused on various areas, including the construction of Ebola treatment units (ETUs), the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the support for contact tracing and case investigation activities. In Liberia, the Government of Liberia (GoL) Ministry of Health (MoH) reported 25 confirmed EVD cases countrywide during the 21-day period ending January 18. The ETU in Lofa County's Voinjama town opened on January 14 with an initial 20 beds. The facility is the tenth operational USG-constructed ETU in Liberia, and USAID/OFDA partner GOAL will provide clinical care for cases at the site. In Sierra Leone, the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) reported a total of 117 new confirmed cases of EVD between January 12 and 18—a 36 percent decrease from the previous week. Despite the countrywide decline in cases, the GoSL NERC and response partners remain concerned regarding ongoing EVD transmission in some districts. Health officials reported an increase in the number of cases reported in Bombali District, a relatively stable caseload in Kono District, and a decrease in the number of new confirmed cases in Bo, Kambia, Moyamba, Tonkolili, Western Area Rural, and Western Area Urban districts. The USG assistance to the EVD outbreak response in Sierra Leone has focused on various areas, including the construction of ETUs, the provision of PPE, and the support for contact tracing and case investigation activities. USAID/OFDA partner the International Medical Corps (IMC) recently established a health care worker training center in Lunsar, which is scheduled to open during the week of January 19. The center encompasses two training halls, tents for mock ETU exercises, and sufficient room for 36 students to board.