Guinea - IOM this week handed over to local authorities two rehabilitated and re-equipped border health posts in Forecariah prefecture, Guinea.

The posts, located in Layah and Kaffou districts are among three border health posts recently rehabilitated and equipped with the support of the Belgian Development Cooperation agency. The official hand over of the third post, located in Kamakoulon in Boke prefecture will be organized next week.

“These renovations are part of IOM’s strategy to support the government by strengthening the Guinean health system. They will provide border communities badly hit by the epidemic with improved health infrastructures that will be able to respond to their daily health needs,” said explained IOM Guinea Chief of Mission Kabla Amihere.

The work started at the end of October 2015 and was finished in early February 2016.

The facilities have been equipped with solar energy devices to provide an autonomous in energy supply. Each post has also been provided with a motorbike to allow staff to visit patients who can’t move.

All the health posts received the same health materials: two observation beds, one consultation bed, one gynecological bed, a scale, a measuring rod, a blood pressure machine, an autoclave sterilizer, three surgical kits, four care kits, hand washing devices and 10 boxes of soap.

With support from OFDA, CDC, Japan and Belgium, IOM Guinea has been providing logistics support to the Guinean government through the National/Prefectural Emergency Operation Center Project.

During the Ebola crisis in Guinea, IOM provided technical support to the National Coordination of the Fight against Ebola by installing health control check-points at borders, as well as some major highways, for health screening and monitoring of travelers at border points of entry. It also sensitized the population to Ebola through community-based surveillance activities.

From March to December 2015, Guinea recorded 3,804 Ebola confirmed, probable and suspected cases. There were some 2,536 deaths, reflecting a mortality rate of 66.7 percent.

For further information, please contact Lola Simonet at IOM Guinea, Tel.: +224 625 25 94 94 Email: lsimonet@iom.int