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INTERNATIONAL

West Africa needs more international help to defeat Ebola

  • 10 November 2014

Over the years, I have had the privilege to visit and accompany Caritas and other Catholic Church-inspired organisations in Africa as they responded to the epidemic of HIV and AIDS. I always received warm greetings and handshakes, even when people were traumatised by the massive loss of life that resulted from AIDS.

On my recent visit to Liberia, however, I found a 'different Africa.' From the moment that our plane touched down at the Monrovia airport, we were confronted with buckets of bleach water with which to wash our hands and people armed with 'gun thermometers' to take our temperatures.

Perhaps the most striking difference from my other visits was found in the 'no touch' policy. Africans usually are warm and physical in expressing welcome – they offer hearty handshakes. Now, in the Ebola-affected countries, everyone seems uncomfortable as a result of the need to avoid physical contact in order to prevent further spread of Ebola. On our way into the city, my host Sr. Barbara Brilliant rolled down the car window to reprimand a young man and woman on the street who were holding hands, reminding them that they should not be 'touching.'

The Ebola situation in the country is grave and continues to disrupt everyday life for most of the population.

Many hospitals and clinics are closed, so it is very difficult to get medical treatment for other diseases. Some people die in the streets looking for medical treatment for infection or for a whole host of other diseases. Schools and many government offices are closed. 

But also the socio-economic impact is very dire in a country that just emerged from years of conflict and now must deal with the 'war' on Ebola. In the communities in which quarantine has been imposed, people do not have access to food, clean water, and other necessities. 

There is a general sense of psychological trauma and anger among the people; several people shared with me their fear that social unrest and conflicts will soon begin again.

So what can the international community do? The Australian government funding to Australian NGOs including Caritas Australia is helping to fight the Ebola outbreak across West Africa is helping.

For the Caritas network in Sierra Leone, the funding is being used to assist  230,000 people at risk of Ebola, through  the provision of medical supplies, essential public health support and the training of health workers in the West African nation. But more international
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