Ebola in West Africa - Emergency Humanitarian Response - Doctors without Borders 2014

April 2014 - On March 21 2014 Guinea declared an outbreak of the Ebola virus—a deadly haemorrhagic fever. The epicentre of the outbreak is located in southern Guinea close to the borders with Liberia and Sierra Leone. The disease has already spread across these borders and immediate assistance is needed to prevent it from spreading further. Although there have been periodic epidemics of Ebola in Central Africa over the past 30 years this is the first time that West Africa is affected. With DFATD’s support Doctors without Borders is helping to reduce and control the spread of the virus in Guinea Liberia and Sierra Leone and to provide care to those affected. Project activities include: (1) setting up isolation units; (2) providing medical and psychosocial care; (3) providing epidemiological surveillance investigation and response to new suspected or alert cases; and (4) conducting awareness-raising with the concerned population and medical staff on the risk of contamination and the protection measures to be taken.

The expected immediate outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to interventions aimed at isolating and protecting the spread of the disease; (2) increased medical and psychological care and services; (3) improved epidemical surveillance investigation and alerts; and (4) improved awareness and information. The expected intermediate outcome is reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.