MONROVIA, Liberia, December 9, 2014/ -- It is now seven months since Sierra Leone recorded the first case of Ebola and, in spite local and international efforts in the fight against the virus, the numbers continue to spike, particularly in the Western areas of the country.

The President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has himself been touring the length and breadth of the country mobilizing paramount chiefs and other stakeholders for community involvement in the fight against the Ebola virus disease.

The message of the President has been very clear: Sierra Leone can get the best of treatment centers, the best of clinicians and doctors but unless and until the chain of transmission is broken at the community level by respecting the health measures being put in place of avoiding body contacts, not to touch or bury corpses, and above all, to always call the national Ebola response toll free number of 117, the fight against the virus can still be a herculean challenge.

The Minister of Information and Communications of Sierra Leone Alpha Kanu will host an international press conference to dilate on this and several other issues, including concerns over the spike of cases particularly in the western areas of the country, on Thursday, December 11, 2014 at 3pm Sierra Leone time.

Journalists interested in attending this event will be able to ASK QUESTIONS LIVE VIA THE INTERNET.

Speaker:        Honorable Alpha Kanu, Minister of Information and Communications of Sierra Leone

Date:        Thursday, December 11

Time:        15:00 GMT (Time Converter: http://bit.ly/1BwsZzD)     

Languages:    English

How it works: This service is FREE and only requires a computer connected to the internet.

REGISTER: http://www.apo-opa.com/application.php?L=E&vc=SIE

Technical Contact:   +41 22 534 96 97, sec.sg@apo-opa.org

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of The Republic of Sierra Leone.