Mags GarganOver 10,000 people in West Africa have been infected with Ebola and over 4,900 have died.
An Irish nun who has worked in Sierra Leone for 60 years has said that governments and international organisations have responded too slowly to the Ebola crisis in West Africa.
“I thought the international response was too slow,” said Sr Teresa McKeown, a member of the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny from Streamstown, Co. Westmeath. “Now they are coming in, but you almost feel that it’s too little too late. I’m just hoping and praying that they get a drug [vaccine] that will be able to control it…but it won’t cure the poverty,” she said.
“The poverty there is just shocking because people are no longer working so they have nothing. They are just literally starving, and the sisters there along with a couple of lay people are beginning to distribute food,” said Sr Teresa, who is currently in Ireland waiting to be allowed to return to Sierra Leone.
Infection
Meanwhile, Trócaire’s executive director Eamonn Meehan, who is currently in Sierra Leone, has said religious leaders have a crucial role to play in raising awareness of how to reduce the risk of infection.
“They are trusted in their communities,” he said. “By speaking out, these leaders can ensure that people take the right measures to control the spread of the disease.
“There is still a huge amount of work to do, and far more international support is needed,” said Mr Meehan. “The epidemic is having a knock-on effect on healthcare more generally: people aren’t seeking treatment for other serious illnesses like malaria, because they’re afraid of being infected with Ebola. Ebola is affecting every aspect of people’s lives, and it’s forcing communities further into poverty. Families can’t afford food, schools are closed, travel restrictions are in place and people live in perpetual fear.”
Over 10,000 people in West Africa have been infected with Ebola and over 4,900 have died. The three most affected countries are Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.