Ebola: blanket of fear over Sierra Leone - Humanity House
27 August 2014

Ebola: blanket of fear over Sierra Leone

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Cordaid

Cordaid delivers empowerment, security and opportunity while building flourishing communities. They invest in social impact and have a strong track record to support their methods. Cordaid makes healthcare accessible using resultbased financing, they build peace by supporting women’s leadership, create community security, deliver food security, change disaster cycles.

Water purification tablets, protective clothing and education are needed to prevent the Ebola epidemic from spreading further in Sierra Leone. Cordaid supports local health organizations in their efforts to avoid the spread of the virus.

Blanket of fear
Cordaid has 29 projects in Sierra Leone, where the Ebola epidemic has gained strength in the last month. “The disease has laid a blanket of fear over the country,” says Marjan Kruijzen, healthcare expert for Cordaid. “People say it is worse than the civil war of twelve years ago. Then, we knew where the danger was coming from. Now, the risk is everywhere.” Kruijzen lives in Sierra Leone but is in the Netherlands for safety reasons. Cordaid has put travel to the affected area on hold.

Emergency
Sierra Leone has declared a state of emergency. International organizations are working hard to take care of patients. At the same time the government´s National Action Plan emphasizes education and measures to prevent further spread of the disease. Kruijzen: “Parts of Sierra Leone are very modern, but there are also large areas without paved roads, remote villages where people have to walk for hours to see a healthcare professional. They do not know how the disease develops, what a virus is and how to prevent infection. Local health organizations are now working to educate them. Cordaid will support them financially. There is also a great shortage of protective clothing  and of chlorine to purify water. Cordaid will also work to provide these.”

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