Via guineematin.com: Reluctance in Gouécké (N'zérékoré): citizens deny the existence of Ebola in the locality. This sounds all too familiar, and it does not bode well. The Google translation:
There is great reluctance in Gouécké, a sub-prefecture of N'Zérékoré (in southern Guinea) where the Ebola epidemic has recently reappeared. The inhabitants of the locality deny the existence of the disease at home, and refuse to comply with the measures taken by the authorities. A situation that risks seriously complicating the response to this epidemic, noted a special envoy from Guineematin.com on the spot.
“We recently heard that there is Ebola in Gouécké. But I do not agree with these false words, in which I do not believe at all, ”said Jacques Noël Haba, a resident of Gouécké. This citizen refuses to change his habits in the name of the fight against the Ebola virus. For him, the Guinean government is quite simply using this disease to get help from technical and financial partners.
“If Ebola were here, we would have known it already, because we know the human damage that this disease leaves in its path. But here, since the death of the lady (the nurse) almost 4 weeks ago, we have not learned of another death or even a case of illness in her family. If there have been cases of death, it is not in Gouécké center here, it is perhaps outside our sub-prefecture. So if the government wants to lie in order to get something, they just have to do it, but there is no Ebola here,” says Haba.
And, this position is widely shared in the sub-prefecture of Gouécké. Not believing at all in the presence of Ebola at home, the inhabitants of the locality do not respect any barrier measures. Even the closure of the weekly market in this urban municipality, announced by the authorities, was not respected. Met last Saturday in this market, Aimé Loua, a student at Gouéké college, says he does not understand why the Guinean authorities want to close this market when it is not the only place where Ebola could spread.
“I came to the market to buy myself a bag, but I found the price to be very high because the market is not full. And, this is due to the government's decision to close our weekly market. But, why decide to close the market and leave the schools open? Or is it only in the market that Ebola can spread? In the classrooms, we are seated at 3 per table-bench, but there was no contamination there. We just want to tire our parents who are there suffering to feed us. So we ask the president to leave us in peace, because there is no Ebola here in Gouécké,” said this student.
The vaccination campaign compromised?
To avoid the 2013-2015 scenario (a period during which the Ebola virus had killed more than 2,500 people in Guinea), the authorities are betting this time on vaccination. The first doses of vaccines ordered by Guinea must arrive this Monday in Conakry so that the vaccination can begin tomorrow, Tuesday 23 February 2021. But, this operation may be complicated by the reluctance of the population. In Gouécké, some citizens suggest that vaccines against Ebola are not welcome in the locality.
“They said there is disease with us here, but it is wrong. There is no illness here. They must not send us vaccines, because there is no Ebola here. If there was disease here, we would get vaccinated. But, why are we going to vaccinate people who are not sick? You see that our market is full, everyone is going about their business. We haven't seen an Ebola patient in Gouécké here, so we don't need their vaccines, ”said Oumar Soumaoro, a resident of Gouécké.
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