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As the Ebola outbreak is officially declared over, Mike – who led our team heading up ActionAid's emergency repsonse in Sierra Leone and Liberia – reflects on the devastating effects that the disease has had across West Africa and calls on the international community to invest in recovery and to help rebuild shattered lives.
Washing your hands might seem like a very simple and unremarkable thing to do. But this small act can help save lives. On Global Handwashing Day, we look at how spreading awareness of the importance of handwashing, and providing soap and buckets needed to do it, has helped to bring the Ebola crisis under control in Sierra Leone.
Three years ago I travelled to Sierra Leone. Of all the incredible people I met it was the women and girls whose indefatigable attitude to life bowled me over. But since the Ebola outbreak in 2014, heartbreakingly over 12,000 children have been left orphaned in Sierra Leone. What is life like for Ebola orphans and the women supporting them now?
Almost exactly a year ago, we started our Ebola emergency programme in Sierra Leone. We were one of the first agencies to respond, and our work with community mobilisers and the innovative ways we used to get the message out undoubtedly helped save lives. I recently visited the town of Bumpe in Kono district, meeting some of the dedicated and inspiring volunteers who continue to work on the front line of our Ebola response.
Last night, Sky news presenter, Dermot Murnaghan hosted our special panel event to discuss the Ebola crisis in Liberia and Sierra Leone and what it means for these countries that have borne the brunt of the outbreak.Find out the key takeaways from the discussion below and help us do more by donating to our appeal.
Last year, actress and ActionAid Ambassador Sarah Alexander visited health centres and maternity wards in Bo, now one of the worst Ebola hit areas in Sierra Leone. Here, in a guest blog for ActionAid, Sarah talks about the huge risks for women giving birth in the heart of the Ebola epidemic.