For the past five months an epidemic of Ebola haemorrhagic fever has been ongoing in West African countries (Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone). More than 1600 people have been infected with the deadly virus and more than half of them have died within a few days from uncontrollable bleeding. The Ebola virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. In the poor sanitary and densely populated urban environments of Sierra Leone, the risk of such transmission is very high.
The missionary Fr. Themistocles Adamopoulos and our Brotherhood appeal for the immediate strengthening of the mission in the country in order to stop the transmission of the disease. A description of the situation is given by Fr Themistocles.
(…) Here in Sierra Leone, the country is currently in a state of emergency due to the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, which has no cure and has a 90% mortality rate. Unfortunately, we are at the centre of this deadly epidemic. (…) Today has been declared by the President of Sierra Leone as a national day of prayer and fasting and a day of national emergency known as Operation Octapus. It is designed to prevent public movement of people on the streets and to cordon off certain eastern provinces of the country. Consequently, people are not allowed to leave their homes and the army and police are patrolling and monitoring the situation. (…) Our main concern is that many of the disabled and amputees we house in the “Disabled Village” in Waterloo have a habit of begging on the streets of Freetown. In doing so, they expose themselves to Ebola infection because of their constant contact with strangers. They have become a high-risk group and therefore put others at risk. If just one of them becomes infected, they will spread the virus to our entire Waterloo compound, a possibility that will be a disaster because we also house their children there! To deter them from begging, we have designed a program to provide daily food, thus eliminating their need to go downtown. In this way, we will be able to isolate the whole complex from any outside contact. Thanks to the previous container you sent us, we still have some food supplies (rice, oil, sugar, tomato juice, etc.). But these are only enough for about two weeks. (…) There are some other needs at the moment: We need to buy and distribute sanitary material (chlorine, medical gloves, antiseptic soap, face masks, etc.), to fill our clinic with various necessary medical supplies, and also to increase the existing funds to cover the hospitalization of those who fall ill during this period. (…)
Dear friends, Please help us save lives in Sierra Leone. There is an urgent need to find at least €20,000 to cover the cost of the Waterloo Disabled Persons’ Bed and Breakfast. If we do not help now, then soon the “Disabled Village” will be a thing of the past, because all the inhabitants will have been infected with the Ebola virus. Make a donation or start a campaign today. Spread the word about our appeal using the buttons below.
