MSF prepares to respond to Ebola outbreak in Guinea

Health authorities in Guinea declared an outbreak of Ebola in the rural community of Gouéké in N’Zerekore prefecture after three Ebola cases were confirmed by the national laboratory, according to the World Health Organization. This marks the first time the disease has been reported in the country since the end of the devastating West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2016.

Doctors Without/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is rapidly putting together an Ebola team in Guinea to support the Ministry of Health’s Ebola response. We know from past experience that the speed of the response is important, both in order to contain transmission and to provide treatment for people who have caught the disease. We also know that community engagement is vital. We will try to get the right balance between responding quickly and taking steps to make sure the community is a willing and active participant in both prevention and response. Alongside treatment for Ebola, contact tracing and other community-based activities will be absolutely vital.

Our teams’ needs can vary dramatically as we work to provide care in more than 70 countries around the world. Giving monthly:

• Helps sustain our lifesaving care in the face of an emergency–and continue when the headlines fade.
• Allows our doctors, nurses, logistics experts, and other staff to plan for future challenges.
• Ensures our teams can adapt as ground conditions change and medical needs evolve.