 Conteh 's work in the Lassa ward spanned 25 years and saved thousands of lives . He played a key role in helping Merlin implement a program to support the Lassa ward and fever control measures in Sierra Leone . Because of his skill and dedication , deaths due to cases of suspected Lassa fever declined by 20 % . After Conteh 's death , Merlin and the peacekeepers in the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone ( UNAMSIL ) left Sierra Leone and the Lassa ward in Kenema was barely functioning . In 2004 , Tulane University , in co @-@ ordination with the World Health Organization , began monitoring Lassa fever patients in Sierra Leone , Liberia , and Guinea through the Mano River Union Lassa Fever Network ( MRU @-@ LFN ) . Today , the Lassa Fever Program is fully operational at Kenema Government Hospital , and focuses on " treatment , containment , prevention and research " . 
