The 2014 West Africa Ebola crisis: lessons from UK Defence Healthcare Engagement in Sierra Leone.

The 2014 West Africa Ebola virus disease outbreak prompted the deployment to Sierra Leone of non-governmental organisations and the UK Joint Inter-Agency Taskforce including personnel from the UK Defence Medical Services (DMS). Some of these military personnel partnered with the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) as an example of Defence Healthcare Engagement (DHE).UK DMS mentors assisted RSLAF to plan and upscale Ebola treatment units.

Ebola Virus Disease in Children, Sierra Leone, 2014-2015.

Little is known about potentially modifiable factors in Ebola virus disease in children. We undertook a retrospective cohort study of children <13 years old admitted to 11 Ebola holding units in the Western Area, Sierra Leone, during 2014-2015 to identify factors affecting outcome. Primary outcome was death or discharge after transfer to Ebola treatment centers.