LCC calls for prayers against Ebola

The Liberia Council of Churches says it is extremely concerned about the alarming reports of the deadly Ebola virus in the country. Since the renewed outbreak of the virus here, the LCC and the inter religious council of Liberia have remained engaged with authorities of the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders on how to help curtail the spread of the disease through increased public awareness and prayer intervention.

A press release issued under the signature of the vice president of the LCC, Rev. Dr. Kortu K. Brown, says the religious body is calling on all Liberians – Christians or Muslims to pause for few minutes and lead a special prayer this Sunday, July 13, 2014 for the eradication of Ebola out of Liberia.

Early this week, the World Health Organization or WHO reported 16 new cases of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease in Liberia. The report also revealed that the epidemic has spread rapidly in Sierra Leone and Liberia from neighboring Guinea with the former recording 34 new Ebola cases and the latter, 16 new cases.

As of Sunday, July 6, there have been a total of 844 cases of Ebola in the three countries, including 518 deaths, with Liberia suffering the death of a foreign Doctor, who came to save lives but died while trying to save the life of a nurse that died of Ebola at the Government-owned Redemption Hospital in the Borough of New Kru Town on Bushrod Island, suburb of Monrovia.

The death toll in Liberia from the disease has affected three of the country’s 15 political subdivisions, namely Lofa, Montserrado, and Margibi Counties. Health authorities in Monrovia have reported a total death of 40 from the disease with at less 12 cases of health workers infected, 10 of whom have already died, a situation that has caused trained and professional health workers to abandon their areas of assignment at clinics and hospitals for fear of being infected.

Meanwhile, the LCC has condemned the recent bloody violence in Yekepa, Nimba county which led to the destruction of properties of Arcelor Mittal and disruption of normalcy in that area.

The council describes the violence as unacceptable and inimical to the cry for peace and stability and calls on the Government of Liberia to institute proper investigation to establish the root causes and provide remedies to avoid a recurrence. The authorities have made several arrests in connection with the incident with President Sirleaf promising stern actions against perpetrators.