Strengthening Community Surveillance of Ebola Virus Disease in Sierra Leone

Abstract

Port Loko district in Sierra Leone had over 1,400 confirmed Ebola cases since the start of the outbreak. Stronger surveillance systems were critical for the early detection of potential EVD cases, thus containing further spread of the epidemic. Community structures such as clinics, village/section chiefs, community Ebola responders, religious institutions and community social mobilization teams were critical to developing robust integrated surveillance systems that could report significant EVD events to the District Ebola Response Center. This ensured that all significant events were investigated. Continuous engagement of community and section structures proved critical in stopping the spread of EVD in Port Loko