In March, 2014, an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever started to spread in the forested areas of southeast Guinea.
In March, 2014, an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever started to spread in the forested areas of southeast Guinea. Since then, the outbreak has rapidly spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. In August, the World Health Organization declared the epidemic a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Several airlines have stopped or limited flights to and from crisis zones to prevent the spread of the disease. Official reports say that there have been more than 3,000 confirmed reported cases of Ebola.
“Ebola is gaining momentum and victims, showing exponential growth rather than a decline in new cases,” explained Gillian Seton, acting medical director at Cooper Adventist Hospital.
As the Ebola outbreak in West Africa continues to spiral out of control, ADRA has partnered with Loma Linda University, Adventist Health International, and GlobalMedic to provide Cooper Adventist Hospital in Monrovia City, Liberia and Liberian Ministry of Health with $92,000 worth of equipment and supplies. The supplies include Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as:
- 30,000 Medium Vinyl Gloves
- 30,000 Large Vinyl Gloves
- 14,000 Garbage Bags
- 38,000 Face Masks
- 600 Tyvek White Disposable Coverall
- 3,200 Isolation Gowns
- Five Isolation Shelter Systems
- Consignment of Essential Medications
Several weeks ago, ADRA implemented an initial $22,000 response that provided protective gear including gloves, goggles, and gowns. ADRA also purchased and delivered disinfectants such as alcohol, chlorine, bleach and other sanitizers for use by the hospital staff.
ADRA’s response is expanding beyond Liberia to include Sierra Leone. Today, ADRA and Global Medic are airlifting supplies to Waterloo Adventist Hospital located in Freetown where a $50,000 response is being implemented.
In Sierra Leone, ADRA is providing psychological counseling and support to victims and families, training to capacitate staff and volunteers, community awareness and sensitization messages and public places such as markets, churches and bus stations. ADRA is also producing and distributing public information and education materials such as flyers, posters, and radio and television programs.
“As we continue to respond to the Ebola outbreak, our goal is to fight the spread of the disease,” said Jonathan Duffy, president of ADRA International. “We want to protect the workers, improve the care they can provide, and educate the community. It’s critical for us to support our facilities in West Africa.”
1 World Health Organization, 2014
