IMF to give Sierra Leone $80m to fight Ebola

Sierra Leone is expecting to receive more than $ 80m to help the country end the Ebola outbreak.

The BBC reports that the IMF has pledged a $187m financial aid package for Sierra Leone to support the country’s ailing economy.

Nearly 10,000 people have died in the outbreak, with the vast majority in Guiea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone investigates alleged misuse of Ebola fundsOn Sunday, the BBC reported that the Vice President of Sierra Leone put himself into quarantine after one of his bodyguards died from the deadly disease.

Samuel Sam-Sumana said he would stay out of contact with others for 21 days as a precaution.

There was optimism the virus was on the decline in Sierra Leone at the end of last year but there has been a recent increase in confirmed cases.


Of 99 cases recorded in the region in the week beginning 16 February, 63 were in Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization.

Symptoms of Ebola

High Fever

Bleeding

Central Nervous System damage

Facts About Ebola
Spread by body fluids, such as blood and saliva
Fatality rate can reach 90% – but current outbreak has mortality rate of between 54% and 62%
Incubation period is two to 21 days
No proven vaccine or cure
Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery
Fruit bats, a delicacy for some West Africans, are considered to be virus’s natural host