Freetown Blames Ebola Spike On Mistrust Of Medical Advice

              Last week saw 99 new confirmed cases of Ebola logged in the countries at the heart of the West African epidemic that has claimed around 10,000 lives over the last year. Sierra Leone has blamed the spike on people flouting health and safety advice, in particular the ban on traditional funeral rites where mourners often touch corpses. The hope is that the virus can be eradicated by mid-April, but the clash between science and customary beliefs remains at the heart of the struggle.
Also, in Ivory Coast, UN chiefs and ministers from across West Africa gather in Abidjan for the first top level gathering aimed at finding a solution for the millions who, across the region, have no country to call their own.

We also hear from a Malawian child bride, this as campaigners hope that a new legislation raising the age of marital consent will help lower the number of girls who are forced to marry too young. The country has one of the highest rates for underage marriage in the world.

Finally, the post-Charlie Hebdo riots that hit Niger earlier this year left churches in flames and the nation's minority Christians in fear for their lives. Today, local Christians are looking to rebuild, yet remain wary of further attacks.