Kiwi nurse: Ebola 'a war - but you can't see the enemy'

Nurse Andrew Cameron's work included helping Ebola survivors to get back into the community. Picture / Mark Mitchell

NZ nurse says Sierra Leone getting on top of outbreak

A New Zealand nurse who spent time working in Ebola-hit Sierra Leone says an end to the outbreak is in sight.

Andrew Cameron arrived in Wellington from the West African country last night after spending five weeks working at a Red Cross Ebola centre in Kenema.

Sierra Leone was one of the countries to be hardest hit by the outbreak of the virus, but Mr Cameron said with proper help now in place the country was in a good position to win the battle.

"It's a bit like a war, but you can't see the enemy."

He had no doubt the outbreak would be brought under control "because of the efforts involved".

"It's obviously devastating for the country but they're doing their best and the international effort is really helping."

The Hawkes Bay nurse, who is mostly based in Queensland, has worked in many of the world's trouble spots, including Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan and Iraq.

Facing Ebola patients was not nearly as scary as working in some of those places, he said.

About 50 per cent of those who came into the clinic with the illness walked out cured. There were about 50 patients there at any given time.

There was no treatment for the virus and the body had to get rid of it on its own, but the centre was able to provide treatment for dehydration and infections to help that process, he said.

"Basically comfort measures and if the body heals itself, then well and good."

Mr Cameron was responsible for safe burials and supporting survivors to get back into the community.

"I had to manage all the people who survived to go home."

Part of that was convincing communities that people who survived the illness were not contagious and were now immune, he said.

Mr Cameron did not have many concerns about his safety before heading to Africa, having received training in Geneva beforehand. And there was also the safety suit that covered "every square inch".

"I'd go back, it's a worthwhile thing to do."

The treatment centre was set up from scratch by the Red Cross a couple of months ago after the Kenema hospital failed to cope with the outbreak.

"I think 42 of the staff died. I think they've only got one doctor left," he said.

Ebola crisis
• Almost 18,000 people have been infected.
• Of those, more than 6300 have died.
• Sierra Leone now has the highest total number of reported cases, with 7897 cases to date.
• New Zealand has sent five Red Cross nurses to the region.

Sources: World Health Organisation and Wellington Medical Officer of Health