Tearfund launches urgent appeal for Ebola crisis, warning: 'All the dominoes are set for a major disaster'
As the number of suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) rises to 750, Tearfund is launching an emergency appeal to raise funds for our urgent response in the region.
Poppy Anguandia, Tearfund’s Country Director for the DRC says:
'The numbers are growing fast and timing is critical. This outbreak is situated in a densely populated region characterised by high levels of internal and cross-border migration. All the dominoes are set for a major disaster.
'In the DRC people often have to choose between water to drink or water to wash their hands. Many people don’t have access to running water and often have to walk for miles to collect even a small amount.
'Tearfund is working with local partners and faith leaders to share prevention and safety guidelines, distributing hygiene kits with soap for handwashing, building toilets and managing waste, to prevent the spread of the disease.
'Faith leaders are standing in the gap between medical institutions and communities,helping to share life-saving guidance to help stop the spread. This response is urgent, but we need more funds to act now.'
Tearfund will also support health clinics with infection prevention and control, such as handwashing stations, temperature checks, and enabling community health workers to share information.
To donate to Tearfund's Ebola Crisis Appeal go to www.tearfund.org/ebolacrisis
ENDS
For further information or interview requests call Tearfund’s Media Team on +44 (0)7929 339 813 or email [email protected]
Notes to editors
During the 2018-2020 Ebola crisis, Tearfund worked with health centres to provide basic clean water facilities and to set up triage units, isolation units and installed latrines and incinerators in support of the Ebola response.
Working with faith leaders, Tearfund also ran a mass community awareness campaign, sharing information with local people about how to prevent Ebola from spreading. This involved producing Ebola prevention songs in local languages for broadcast on the radio and for use by choirs; talks and announcements in church services; and door-to-door awareness raising.
Faith leaders, equipped by Tearfund with knowledge about prevention, were able to give vital advice on washing hands, seeking medical help at the first sign of symptoms, and guidance on safe burials, to curb the spread of disease. This education helped reduce the discrimination and stigma towards Ebola survivors.
Tearfund has been working in DRC since 1986. Tearfund’s work includes:
- Water and Sanitation Hygiene – contributes to major water projects, providing clean water and rehabilitation of water sources, promoting good hygiene practices and building toilets
- Supplies communities with seeds, tools and agricultural training to help them rebuild their livelihoods
- Helps women who are survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence – providing psychosocial support and working with faith leaders and communities to tackle negative gender stereotypes to reduce sexual and gender based violence
- Promotes maternal and infant health leading to a reduction in infant mortality and the spread of HIV/AIDS
Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. We tackle poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and challenging injustice. We believe an end to extreme poverty is possible. Tearfund is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org.
