Published: Monday, 31 August 2015 16:04
FOCUS 1000 and partners including SMAC consortium, MoHS, UNICEF, Red Cross, WHO, OXFAM and EU, supported The Sierra Leone Indigenous Traditional Healers Union to engage its membership within Port Loko and Kambia Districts from the 5th to 18th August 2015, to facilitate their total commitment in creating maximum awareness about Ebola among their members and communities, while involving them in active search for Ebola cases in shrines and communities so that zero cases can be reached and maintained.
With support from the partnership, traditional healers lead by their Union visited and engaged their membership in eleven chiefdoms in Port Loko District and seven chiefdoms in Kambia District. Shrines that were suspected of harboring cases and those for which adverse information was received regarding their conduct, were visited as a matter of priority. A total of 775 selected members were reached in Port Loko and 315 in Kambia. They were duly sensitized, given the responsibility to form Community Action Groups within their communities, charged with the responsibility of engaging and monitoring their various communities, reporting any incidences of illnesses, deaths and activities that are not in the best interest of reaching and maintaining zero Ebola cases. The cordiality of community members including the Paramount chief displayed willingness to the Terms of Reference provided by their Union to reach zero and stay zero.
Overall there was a clear demonstration of respect and welcome for members of the SLITHU, a prime factor in the success of the campaign. At the end of each exercise the Paramount chief and elders were duly debriefed and urged to continue the monitoring.
