Sierra Leone Action to implement the use of survivors’ blood for the treatment of Ebola patients in Sierra Leone

September 19, 2014 – Freetown, Sierra Leone – Sierra Leone Action (SLA) would like to announce that they have received the full authorization from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to use Ebola survivors’ blood and/or serum to treat current Ebola patients.

Each survivor’s blood contains antibodies that can potentially be given to a patient, giving him/her a much greater chance of survival. This approach represents the best opportunity for halting the spread of the virus, in combination with other containment strategies, especially due to the lack of treatment options currently available for Ebola.

This decision by the Sierra Leone Government will also help to mitigate the risk of a growing black market for survivors’ blood by establishing legitimate means for the community to have access to the convalescent blood treatment. This supply will be well regulated, with the Government requiring safety measures and procedures for collection and use that adhere to international standards. To that end, SLA, working within the framework of the regulatory bodies, will begin implementation of Convalescent Serum Therapy immediately.

Treatment will be divided into two phases:

Phase 1 will address the urgent need of an effective treatment option by transfusing whole blood from survivors into Ebola patients after appropriate screening. This phase will take effect immediately and will incorporate clinical trials to determine the efficacy of this treatment.

Phase 2 will be the use of blood serum, the part of the blood that contains the antibodies and can be separated from the red blood cells. This phase will not only address the current outbreak but will be the initial implementation of a public health policy to address any future outbreaks of Ebola.

SLA would like to commend the EOC, as well as the leadership in Sierra Leone, for supporting this bold initiative and taking proactive steps to save the lives of Sierra Leoneans.

About Sierra Leone Action

Sierra Leone Action (SLA) was born out of a desire to improve the health outcome of ordinary Sierra Leoneans in the current Ebola outbreak. The group comprises individuals located in both Sierra Leone and the Diaspora, working in collaboration with leading physicians as well as professors from the College of Medicine, University of Sierra Leone. SLA has also partnered with the local groups, Women in National Development (WiND-SL) and Community Response Group (CRG), to recruit and train Outreach Workers for the sensitive task of identifying suitable blood donors amongst the survivors. Find SLA on the World Wide Web at: www.saloneaction.com

SLA is also currently raising funds towards the implementation of the treatment, and purchase of lab equipment that would enable the expansion of the project beyond Phase 1 into Phase 2. To support SLA, please visit www.saloneaction.com.

For more information contact Trevor Young at info@saloneaction.com.

Sierra Leone Action

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