Preventing the spread of Ebola in West Africa
29 Aug 14 |
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Luxembourg, 28th of August
Ebola virus disease, a highly infectious and deadly disease, continues to claim lives in West Africa. As of 26th of August, more than 1,500 people have died in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The virus surfaced in rural Guinea and then spread to the neighbouring countries.
Ebola Training (Copyright by Katherine Mueller IFRC)
“While there is no cure or vaccine for Ebola virus disease, its spread can be prevented,” says Aliou Boly, programme manager for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Guinea. “This is the first time an Ebola outbreak has occurred in West Africa, so there are a lot of misconceptions and rumours surrounding it. For example, that the disease is spread through the air. The Red Cross, through our volunteers who are in the communities, is playing an active role by providing people with accurate information and advice on how to protect themselves and prevent the disease from spreading.”
Concerns raised about its potential to spread further have prompted most West African countries to reinforce their epidemiological surveillance systems, and many international aid organizations, including the Red Cross, are scaling up their efforts to combat the spread, by releasing emergency funds and deploying health teams to the region.
Luxembourg Red Cross is working on a regional programme to support their partner Red Cross societies Burkina Faso, Burundi, Mali, Niger, and Senegal in their prevention activities. Health personal is being trained on how to treat people infected with the disease, how to contain the disease and how to protect themselves. Luxembourg Red Cross also covers expenses of protection equipment and the installation of containment centres.
To support the work of the Luxembourg Red Cross and our Partners please wire transfer your donation to
Account: Luxembourg Red Cross
IBAN: LU52 1111 0000 1111 0000
Swift/BIC: CCPLLULL
Communication: IMMF Ebola Campaign