Appeal Target: US$527,584
Balance Requested: US$ 0
Dear Colleagues,
The deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) surfaced in West Africa for the first time in 2013, affecting Guinea, Liberia, Senegal and Nigeria. It appeared in Guinea in December 2013 and spread into neighbouring Sierra Leone by April 2014. This virus is considered one of the most aggressive that has no cure to date. It can kill within one week of exposure or three to four days from when the first symptoms become apparent. The fatality rate is very high (90%) if the infected person receives no treatment.
As of 12 March 2015, 8,463 confirmed cumulative cases have been reported in the districts of Sierra Leone (1) resulting in 3,289 confirmed deaths. The situation is well on the way to being under control.
The transmission of the Ebola Virus has been greatly reduced (10.7 new cases/day) and new needs within the Ebola survivor’s population have emerged related to food and non-food items, psycho-social care as well as caring for Ebola orphans.
This revision replaces the appeal issued on 24 September 2014 which was due to come to a closure on 31 January 2015. The implementation period has been extended to end May 2015 to allow ACT member, the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) to complete and review activities that were held up due to curfews in place to prevent/slow down contagion. ACT member Christian Aid (CA) has been working (outside the appeal) on the distribution of food and non-food items to quarantined families, with the aim of stopping the transmission of Ebola by keeping quarantined families from breaking quarantine in search of food. It is now joining the appeal to combine with CCSL and continue its current project on sensitising targeted communities on the signs and symptoms of Ebola contagion was well as measures to be taken at individual and community level to contain the virus.
