{"id":8124,"date":"2014-08-11T17:55:25","date_gmt":"2014-08-12T00:55:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/?p=8124"},"modified":"2014-08-11T21:50:42","modified_gmt":"2014-08-12T04:50:42","slug":"united-methodists-respond-to-ebola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/united-methodists-respond-to-ebola\/","title":{"rendered":"United Methodists Respond to Ebola"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ebola is affecting everything we do in West Africa right now. It’s shutting down hospitals, endangering healthcare workers, and eroding the trust between people and their leaders. Because its early symptoms are so similar to malaria, and because people are so afraid of getting an Ebola diagnosis, many malaria patients are currently not getting help (or even hiding themselves from medical professionals). <\/em><\/p>\n

If we are against malaria, we must also be against Ebola. Fighting malaria right now in West Africa means fighting Ebola. So we’re republishing one of Julia Frisbie’s articles from\u00a0umcor.org<\/a>\u00a0in hopes that people who support this campaign will activate their prayer networks, donate, and help spread the word.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

August 7, 2014\u2014\u00a0<\/strong>The United Methodist Church<\/a>\u00a0has been present with the people of West Africa since the beginning of the Ebola epidemic this spring. As the disease picks up speed, the\u00a0United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)<\/a>\u00a0is ramping up its response. A total of $87,000 in grant money has been distributed, and UMCOR stands ready to fund additional projects. Our healthcare networks have been activated to get the word out about prevention and treatment. Lifesaving supplies and protective equipment are on their way to Sierra Leone and Liberia right now.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history, affecting Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and now Nigeria. As of this writing, the disease has infected more than 1,700 people and killed at least 932. It produces hemorrhagic fevers, causing between 50 and 90 percent of people who contract it to lose their lives. There is no cure. It\u2019s also highly infectious. The virus can be transmitted by any bodily fluid, including saliva, urine, blood and even sweat.<\/p>\n

In the past, the relative isolation of affected communities has stymied the disease before it infected more than a few hundred people. But West Africa is densely populated, and people are more mobile than ever before, which has allowed Ebola to spread with alarming speed. Cultural practices such as eating\u00a0bush meat<\/a>, caring for the sick at home, and preparing bodies for burial also elevate the risk of transmission.<\/p>\n

Local governments have urged anyone with a fever to be tested and quarantined. This directive has been met with suspicion and fear. Families fear that if they send a loved one to quarantine, they will never see them again. The truth is that, with medical care such as intravenous fluids, infected people have a better chance of survival. But some families have even gone so far as to hide their sick relatives from government officials and medical teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe real battle is fear, and communities not trusting health facilities,\u201d says Shannon Trilli, UMCOR\u2019s global health consultant. \u201cIf people don\u2019t trust the government and the healthcare providers, they\u2019re not going to get help. At the same time, this is where the church, seen as a trusted thought- and opinion-leader in many communities, can help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Protecting healthcare providers, keeping hospitals open<\/h3>\n