Health workers face greatest risk as they save and protect lives
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa continues its relentless spread, pushing the death toll over 2,600. AmeriCares is sending emergency medical aid to Sierra Leone and Liberia, including personal protective equipment for health workers at great risk in the battle to contain the deadly disease. The Ebola outbreak, now declared to be an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization, has already infected at least 300 health workers and killed nearly 150, including doctors and nurses.
Confirmed cases and fatalities have been reported in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Senegal and aid organizations in the field warn that official case and fatality figures may greatly underestimate the true scale of the outbreak. The World Health Organization estimates the outbreak could infect more than 20,000 people before it is brought under control. In the last 21 days, 45 percent of all the cases have been reported with the most rapid spread occurring in Liberia.
AmeriCares has staged seven emergency shipments of medical aid to both Liberia and Sierra Leone to help treat Ebola patients and to provide protective gear for health workers facing great risks in trying to control the outbreak. The shipments contained over 49,000 pairs of gloves, 44,600 face masks, and over 14,000 units of protective clothing including scrubs and disposable coveralls and gowns. Shipments of intravenous fluids to rehydrate Ebola patients have also been sent to Liberia and Sierra Leone.
“With as many as 5,300 people infected already and the virus spreading rapidly, there is virtually an endless demand for safety equipment,” said AmeriCares Vice President of Emergency Response Garrett Ingoglia. “If we don’t support the frontline health workers, there is no hope for controlling the epidemic.”
In Sierra Leone and Liberia, where leaders have declared a state of emergency, health care providers report intravenous fluids are in short supply and have been extremely difficult to access with the increased demand. AmeriCares has sent enough intravenous fluids donated by Baxter International Inc. for approximately 3,000 patients in both countries.
The fragile health systems in the region are ill-equipped to handle a health crisis of this scale, and the shortage of critical supplies and loss of skilled health workers continues to hamper the best efforts to contain the disease. The damage to the health system also severely limits its capacity to handle other critical health needs such as prenatal care, births, chronic disease or malaria treatment.
AmeriCares first response to the outbreak in May included the purchase and distribution of protective gear and medical supplies for health workers in Liberia as well as support for public messaging campaigns to spread awareness about the disease for which there is no cure.