01589nas a2200241   4500000000100000008004100001653003900042653001000081653002100091653001000112653002700122653001100149100001400160700001300174700001300187700001600200245008900216856008800305300000700393490000600400520092700406022001401333       2017                            d10aNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs)10aEbola10aHealth Personnel10aStaff10aPublic health programs10aAfrica1 aThomas BC1 aKollie K1 aKoudou B1 aMackenzie C00aCommentary: restarting NTD programme activities after the Ebola outbreak in Liberia.  uhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5410695/pdf/40249_2017_Article_272.pdf  a520 v63 a<p>It is widely known that the recent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa caused a serious disruption to the national health system, with many of ongoing disease focused programmes, such as mass drug administration (MDA) for onchocerciasis (ONC), lymphatic filariasis (LF) and schistosomiasis (SCH), being suspended or scaled-down. As these MDA programmes attempt to restart post-EVD it is important to understand the challenges that may be encountered. This commentary addresses the opinions of the major health sectors involved, as well as those of community members, regarding logistic needs and challenges faced as these important public health programmes consider restarting. There appears to be a strong desire by the communities to resume NTD programme activities, although it is clear that some important challenges remain, the most prominent being those resulting from the severe loss of trained staff.</p>
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