Community leaders and Ebola surveillance teams are going house-to-house in neighborhoods in and around Sierra Leone's capital to search for the sick.
President Ernest Bai Koroma launched "Operation Western Area Surge" today in a national broadcast. While infection rates appear to be stabilizing or declining in neighboring Guinea and Liberia, Sierra Leone is still seeing a surge of cases, especially the Western Area, which includes Freetown and its surroundings.
Koroma promised that treatment beds, labs and ambulances stand ready to handle any new cases. The operation will last 14 days, when Koroma promised teams would check every home for the sick.
He also encouraged traditional and religious leaders, politicians and women's and youth groups to speak to people in their communities about Ebola and encourage them to seek treatment.
