Ebola: WB approves $285m grant According to the latest report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) published on November 14, a total of 14 413 confirmed, probable and suspected cases of Ebola virus disease have been reported so far in six Ebola-affected countries — Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Spain and the United States of America — and two previously affected countries — Nigeria and Spain. The disease has already claimed 5 177 lives

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WASHINGTON. — The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a grant of US$285 million to finance the three West African countries hardest hit by the Ebola crisis. The grant is part of the nearly $1 billion of financing previously announced by the World Bank for Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The additional financing approved on Tuesday will enable the three countries to deploy additional national and international health workers, scale up community-based care and community engagement for early detection of suspected Ebola cases, and rebuild and strengthen essential health services, said the World Bank in a statement on Tuesday.

The World Bank is mobilising nearly $1 billion in financing for the Ebola crisis response, including more than $500 million for emergency response and at least $450 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.

A previous World Bank analysis showed if the Ebola continues to surge in these three countries and spreads to neighbouring countries, the two-year regional financial impact would reach $32,6 billion by the end of 2015.

According to the World Health Organisation, as of November 14, 14 413 Ebola cases had been registered in eight countries since the outbreak, with 5 177 reported deaths.

Meanwhile, a non-governmental organisation in Guinea has initiated a programme to reintegrate children whose parents died from Ebola into their communities, public radio reported on Monday.

The report said the Ebola orphans are facing stigmatisation in their communities especially in the southeast region of Macenta, the country’s epicentre of the Ebola outbreak near the Liberian border.

To end the stigmatisation of the children, Plan Guinea, who operates in the region, has initiated a programme to reintegrate the children.
Through the programme, the NGO plans to train teachers in primary schools to help fight against stigmatisation of the orphans.

“Teachers who are well trained on prevention against Ebola virus could contribute to the fight against stigmatisation of children,” said Mamady Drame, the NGO’s programme manager.

The NGO intends to put more efforts in “psychosocial access, identification of orphans and their reintegration.”
Besides the orphans facing difficulties to find food, official statistics show that children have equally been some of the most affected by the Ebola outbreak.
Guinea’s Pre-University Education Minister Ibrahima Kourouma said recently that close to 250 school children have lost their lives due to Ebola virus. — Xinhua.

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