2015-01-02 16:29:00

Sierra Leone's president calls for week of fasting, prayer over Ebola


Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma asked the country to begin a week of fasting and prayers on Thursday to end the Ebola virus that has killed more than 2,700 of his countrymen.  The worst outbreak on record of the virus is still spreading  in West Africa, especially in Sierra Leone, and the number of known cases globally has exceeded 20,000, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.  In a New Year's Day broadcast, Koroma said the seven days of prayers and fasting would begin immediately. "Today I ask all to commit our actions to the grace, mercy and protection of God Almighty," he said.  The death toll from the outbreak, which has been mostly confined to West Africa, has risen to 7,905, the WHO said,  following 317 fatalities recorded since it last issued figures on Dec. 24.

Sierra Leone is the worst-hit country in West Africa with more than 9,000 Ebola cases and the number of infections continue to grow. It accounted for 337 of 476 new laboratory-confirmed cases since Dec. 24.  Koroma also said schools - which have been shut since July to curb the spread of the virus - would reopen soon.   Many schools are being used as Ebola holding centres, raising questions as to how soon they will be able to reopen. (Source: Reuters) 








All the contents on this site are copyrighted ©.