Ebola in Liberia: Our People of the Year
December 11, 2014
This week, Ebola Fighters were named TIME's choice for Person of the Year 2014 "for tireless acts of courage and mercy... for risking, for persisting, for sacrificing and saving," wrote "Person of the Year" author Nancy Gibbs.
And while healthcare workers immediately come to mind as those that are leading the fight against Ebola, there are others, such as the Water Missions International engineers on the ground in Liberia, whose efforts are also contributing to slowing the spread of the deadly disease.
For the first time this week the Center for Disease Control reported that the spread of Ebola has slowed in Liberia which is leading many to focus their attention on how to best prevent the next outbreak. WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) infrastructure and education are essential in preventing future outbreaks of Ebola and other diseases, and that is why Water Missions International responded to the Ebola crisis by shipping and installing water treatment equipment that can provide access to safe water for over 100,000 people in Liberia for years to come.
WMI's principal focus, since initiating operations in Liberia, has been to work with MAP International, Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, Liberian government officials and other participants in the WASH sector to determine where the water treatment equipment is most needed and can have the greatest impact on saving lives. To that end, in addition to providing water for Ebola-stricken communities, there is a pervasive need to provide clean, safe chlorinated water to help in treating Ebola patients at Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs) and Community Care Centers (CCCs).
With support from generous donors, WMI has installed water treatment equipment to provide safe water for a struggling community as well as a number of ETUs. The first community to receive safe water was Dolo Town, population 7,000. When WMI engineers arrived in Dolo Town, the community had been quarantined for a period of time and had a history of cholera outbreaks. On September 21, WMI staff and locals brought clean water and a renewed sense of hope to all those involved.
Also in late September, WMI engineers and in-country nationals installed equipment providing clean water for the staff and patients of ELWA Hospital which serves 1,000 people. However, acknowledging that more needed to be done to help the ETU and surrounding community, WMI partnered with Parker Hannifin to develop three large water treatment systems, which will increase water production for the people in ELWA.
In early November, WMI staff worked to install equipment at the Island Clinic, which was formerly a private clinic, transformed to help deal with the increasing numbers of patients stricken with Ebola. WMI also provided assistance for the US Military and Heart to Heart's establishment of an ETU in Tapeta, Numba County, Liberia. WMI engineers on the ground installed two chlorinators and two solar pumps with solar panels to provide safe water for the ETU opening in early December. Having access to safe clean water in this remote area was vital to the operational success and the Medical Director/CEO of the new facility, Dr. Francis N. Kateh commented, "Words are inadequate to express how appreciative and indebted (we are) to you all for the provision of 'Water' which equates to life."
For more updates from Liberia, follow posts here: watermissions.org/disaster.
Top photo: courtesy of Kieran Kesner / Other photos: Water Missions International
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