Africa News
Sierra Leone makes hiding Ebola patients illegal─── 16:37 Sun, 24 Aug 2014
Freetown - Sierra Leone has voted to pass a new amendment to its health act, imposing possible jail time for anyone caught hiding an Ebola patient, a practice the World Health Organisation believes has contributed to a major underestimation of the current outbreak.
Associated Press reports that the new law, an update to the country's 1960 Public Health Act, imposes prison terms of up to two years for violators.
Sierra Leone has been hit hard by the current outbreak, recording at least 910 cases and 392 deaths, according to figures released Friday by the World Health Organization.
A total of 2 615 infections and 1 427 deaths have been recorded across West Africa.
- AP
