Ebola: the challenging road to recovery

There are about 210 000 people with HIV and 50 000 on antiretroviral therapy in the three countries.5 In Liberia, before the Ebola outbreak, more than 70% of 30 000 patients with HIV had access to treatment.6 Since the onset of the outbreak, 60% of the 144 HIV/AIDS care centres in the country have closed.6 The decrease in the proportion of people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy is thought to be due to non-functioning health facilities and patients not attending clinics for fear of contracting Ebola.5 Similarly, in Sierra Leone 80% of clinics that offer services for pregnant women with HIV are closed, leading to concerns of increased vertical transmission.7 Ebola has also interfered with malaria control efforts.