Claim: A blog in Liberia, Yekeh Kolubah, shared a voice recording claiming that the Ebola virus has returned to Liberia
Verdict: False! According to Liberia’s Health Ministry and international Liberian scientist Dougbeh Chris Nyan, there is no case of Ebola in Liberia
Full Text
Liberians woke up to the devastating news of the return of the deadly Ebola virus in the country via social media (Facebook) during the early morning hours of May 23, 2023, leaving many in fear.
Liberia’s social media, particularly Facebook, went buzzing with this panicking news as seen here and here.
Many Facebook users began posting news of the deadly Ebola virus returning to the country on their official pages, and a prominent one was the local blog Yekeh Kolubah.
The blog posted a voice recording where a lady, believed to be a health worker, is heard cautioning Liberians to be very careful about how they go about their daily activities, as Ebola was already in the country. Before posting the voice recording, the blog also published a post claiming that it had received information about five confirmed cases of the virus in Liberia. Although the post was taken down, DUBAWA obtained a screenshot.
According to the voice recording, the lady was confirming that Ebola was in the country and it was brought in by some group of Christians who she claimed went for a church conference in Uganda and are back in Liberia.
The lady is heard saying, “I just thought it wise for everybody to be informed about the latest issue in Liberia now. I am just coming from a meeting at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFK), and I want everybody to know that Ebola has already entered Liberia.”
The post generated over 900 comments, more than 2k reactions, and 1k shares
This news sends panic throughout the country, as many families who were greatly affected and Liberians still live with the memories of this killer virus.
This time, as the news broke and spread through various social media (Messenger and WhatsApp) chat rooms, Liberians themselves, both at home and abroad, started sharing health tips on how to go about their day-to-day activities, without waiting for the government.
Flashback of Ebola in Liberia
In 2014, Liberia recorded its first two cases of the deadly Ebola virus disease. It was the start of a painful period for a country that had just emerged from over 14 years of civil unrest and was gradually on the path to rebuilding.
According to health authorities at the time, the situation started in the Foya district, Lofa County, when travellers passing through Guinea entered Liberia via the Liberia-Guinea border point of entry.
This quickly spread across the country, taking advantage of the country’s already weak and struggling health sector, claiming the lives of over 2,000 Liberians.
For some, life was like a living hell, as they watched their relatives, friends, and loved ones die, and could do nothing about the situation because of health protocols to contain the virus.
Today, many Liberian families still live with the grief of losing their entire household and being the only surviving person.
Verification
Upon hearing this news, DUBAWA felt compelled to ascertain the facts, and, since it came from someone believed to be a health worker, the researcher contacted authorities within the health sector.
The Ministry of Health, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), and the John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFK) issued a press statement refuting the claim, stating that Liberia currently has no suspected, probable, or confirmed case of Ebola virus disease.
The joint statement quotes the authorities as saying,
“The Ministry of Health, together with the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (PHIL) and partners, continues to maintain surveillance and preparedness measures, including monitoring at health facilities and border points, public awareness activities, and coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), US CDC, Africa CDC, and regional health authorities.”
Below is a screenshot of the joint statement issued by the three relevant bodies within the country’s health sector.