Guéckédou or Guékédou is a town in southern

Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

near the

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

and

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

n borders. It had a population of 79,140 (as of the 1996 census) but has grown in the 21st century due to refugees fleeing the

Second Liberian Civil War The Second Liberian Civil War was a civil war in the West African nation of Liberia that lasted from 1999 to 2003. The war was mainly caused by transition failures after the First Civil War, especially the peace-building process which would res ...

and the Sierra Leone Civil War. Gueckedou school

The city is renowned for its large weekly market, which attracts traders from across Southern Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and ...

. On February 12, 2007, the town's police station was ransacked amidst the resumption of protests and strikes against President

Lansana Conté Lansana Conté (; 30 November 1934 – 22 December 2008

. In 2014, volunteers organized by Guéckédou's Red Cross worked in sanitation, disinfection, and monitoring efforts to help contain the

2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak The 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in West Africa, was the most widespread outbreak of the disease in history. It caused major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and S ...

. Some reported they were "encountering resistance in some villages such as Bafassa, Wassaya and Tolebengo in

Guéckédou Prefecture Guéckédou is a prefecture located in the Nzérékoré Region of Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to ...

, where rumours help fuel the flames of fear ... A main focus of the interventions involves deploying volunteers to communities to raise awareness on how to prevent the spread of the disease and, in the process, address the fear and stigma gripping many communities." The

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

estimated cumulative totals of 227 cases and 173 deaths occurred in Guéckédou as of June 22, 2014. Eleven patients were in Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Treatment Centres in Guéckédou as of that date, and 527 contacts were being followed up on as part of a mandatory 21-day observation period.

Hospitals

* Hôpital Central de Guéckédou * Hôpital Préfectoral de Guéckédou * Poste de Santé Sokoro * Poste de Santé de Vao * Poste de Santé de Farako

References

External links

"Protests as Guinea strike resumes", BBC news, 12 February, 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gueckedou Sub-prefectures of the Nzérékoré Region