Ebola Prevention and Preparedness
Preventing deadly outbreaks with education
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been grappling with an Ebola outbreak since early 2018. As of September 2019, there has been a total of 3,036 Ebola cases reported and 2,035 deaths.
Neighboring countries including Uganda struggle with the possibility of an Ebola outbreak spreading across the border, given the high and continuous rates of migration between the two countries.
In Uganda, Amref is educating communities about Ebola and how to prevent the spread of the disease in the Arua district which shares a border with DRC. One of the main reasons for the rapid spread of the disease is misinformation about its existence and how it can be contracted.
We train community health workers (CHWs) to identify Ebola symptoms, refer suspected cases of Ebola to health facilities for treatment, and to carry out Ebola awareness-raising campaigns for community members of all ages. In addition to CHWs, we also educate lawmakers, cultural leaders, religious leaders and civic leaders on containing possible outbreaks.
Our involvement in the Ebola outbreaks of 2000, 2007 and 2012 have equipped us with the experience and expertise to strengthen Uganda’s response to ongoing cases, and to prepare for any future challenges.
During the outbreak in West Africa in 2014, we trained over 500 volunteers from community-based organizations in Coyah and Forecariah districts in Guinea to help their communities understand and protect themselves from Ebola. This reduced the prevalence of Ebola in Forecariah and stopped the outbreak in Coyah.
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