Salvation Army Responds As Ebola Virus "Spreads Like Wildfire" In Liberia

The Salvation Army has joined the fight against the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia which is "spreading like wildfire", according to Liberia's defence minister Brownie Samukai in an address to the UN Security Council. Two thousand people have been diagnosed with the disease in the country so far.   

Forty volunteer workers have been recruited to bolster The Salvation Army’s mobile medical clinic team in the country. The World Health Organization is concerned that at present "the number of new cases is moving far faster than the capacity to manage them" and there is currently no vaccine available to combat the disease. Therefore, prevention is key to the emergency response.   

The Salvation Army has distributed sanitiser, gloves and mouth guards, to protect against the virus in 17 communities where Ebola is prevalent. Residents in these areas are particularly susceptible to the disease due to poverty and hygienic living conditions. Food packages – including rice, beans and cooking oil – have also been offered to families in particular need.     

Some 6,500 individuals have benefitted to date, including inmates at the national Monrovia Central Prison, where The Salvation Army was requested to extend its distribution by the local authorities.    Disinfectant and protective clothing has been supplied by The Salvation Army to medical practitioners tackling the epidemic. This is important in order to ensure their safety as they carry out their duties.    

Donations to The Salvation Army’s ongoing disaster relief work in Africa can be made online here