MONROVIA, Montserrado – The Deputy Incident Manager of the Incident Management Team, says that for Liberia to maintain zero new Ebola cases, health protocols must be strictly adhered to at all of Liberia’s borders.

Dr. Francis Kateh, also the chief medical officer of the Jackson F. Doe Hospital in Tappita, said neighboring countries like Ivory Coast and Guinea are enforcing stringent health measures at their borders and Liberia must follow suit to remain safe.

Liberia borders Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. Guinea and Sierra Leone are among the three West African countries desperately hit by the Ebola virus. Those countries continue to report new cases of the disease while Liberia is now at zero new cases.

The Liberian-Sierra Leone Border at Bo water side in Grand Cape Mount County. Photo credit: Stephen Kollie

Kateh made these statements on Tuesday, March 16 in Monrovia, when he addressed the Ministry of Information Culture Affairs and Tourism daily press briefing on Ebola.

Kateh said, “Ivory Coast has maintained their surveillance and Ivory Coast has not reported a case. If Ivory Coast can do that, Liberia can do just that now that we are maintaining zero.” He said trainings are underway for several residents of Sinje, Grand Cape Mount County who are expected to serve as surveillance officers upon completing the trainings.

Dr. Francis Kateh, Deputy Incident Manager of the Incident Management System. Photo credit: Stephen Kollie

“We have to strengthen the surveillance system. [A few] things that [are] very critical in the Ebola fight [are] community involvement, community empowerment, and community ownership,” he said.

Also speaking at the press conference, Information Minister Lewis Brown called on Liberians to avoid complacency and follow the health protocols in order to keep Liberia safe.

Brown said he was delighted that Liberia has not reported any case of Ebola in the last twenty-six days and Liberia is determined to be ebola free in the next sixteen days.

Brown said, “We have sixteen more days. After the sixteen days we would have completed at least forty-two days. Is that the end to Ebola? I can only borrow from the President when she said to this country and the world that as long as Guinea and Sierra Leone continue to report new cases, Liberia will continue to be at risk.”

The Incident Management Team replaced the National Ebola Task Force last year after huge public outcry about the poor management of the outbreak.

President Sirleaf was chair of the National Task Force on Ebola but she later dissolved the task force and appointed Assistant Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah as head of the Incident Management Team that replaced the task force.

Ebola has killed about 4,241 people in Liberia and about 10,144 in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, according to the Center for Disease Control.