World turning away as deadly Ebola epidemic rages in West Africa

West African nations like Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are continuing to battle a raging epidemic of the deadly Ebola virus, even as the attention of the rest of the world has moved on.

Despite hopes the epidemic had been contained, a second deadly outbreak has killed at least 135 people since 23 May across the three nations. Since the original outbreak in March, at least 364 cases of Ebola have claimed at least 192 lives in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
“The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa is showing no signs of abating. The government and humanitarian agencies are far from winning this battle against the deadly disease. It is a gravely worrying situation,” says Dr Unni Krishnan, Head of Disaster Preparedness and Response for Plan International.

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Plan International: Information has Become Central to Containing Ebola

CONAKRY, Guinea - Awareness among local population has become central to containing Ebola as the disease continues to spread in parts of West Africa, says Plan International.

Plan said that people must be urgently made aware of public health measures they can take to protect themselves from the lethal virus.

Due to lack of appropriate information, rumors are rife in the affected areas further complicating the response by government and humanitarian agencies.

“We are racing against the deadly virus. Appropriate and timely information can save lives from Ebola,” said Adama Coulibaly, Plan’s Regional Director for West & Central Africa.

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Plan hjælper i Ebola-ramte områder

Guinea og Liberia i Vestafrika er blevet ramt af den smitsomme virus Ebola. Plan er i fuld gang med at uddele livsvigtig information til børn og deres familier i de berørte lande.

En af verdens mest smitsomme vira har ramt børn og deres familier i Guinea og Liberia i Vestafrika. Der findes ingen vaccine eller behandling, og virussen dræber op til 90 procent af dens ofre. Forebyggelse er derfor afgørende for at redde liv.

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Plan International: Guinea Ebola Epidemic Threatening to Become a Regional Crisis

CONAKRY, Guinea – The Ebola epidemic in the Republic of Guinea is threatening to become a regional health crisis endangering a vast population, warns humanitarian organization Plan International.

The region of Forest Guinea, where most of the 59 reported deaths have occurred, is close to the border with Sierra Leone and Liberia. A few suspected cases have already been reported in Sierra Leone.

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Ebola: Taming a killer virus

A dangerous outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa’s Republic of Guinea is threatening to endanger a vast population. Plan is educating communities to help prevent the outbreak from becoming an epidemic. The Hollywood blockbuster Outbreak (1995) starring Dustin Hoffman imagined the outbreak of ‘Motaba’, an Ebola-like virus. The fictional virus originated in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) and spread to a small town in the United States. The film raised various ‘what if’ scenarios that – although highly dramatised and fictional – have basis in reality.

The current Ebola outbreak in Guinea risks spreading to neighbouring countries. If it happens, it could have devastating consequences in the West African country of ten million people, and for neighbouring countries Liberia and Sierra Leone. Communities in the border areas between Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are particularly vulnerable – Sierra Leone imports many of its goods from Guinea and the Guinea capital, Conakry, is a key trading hub. Læs mere her!