Listening to Communities; Engaging Community Partners to Know Ebola and Prevent Transmission of EVD 21 Days Body Temperature Goal of Outreach In Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Place: Clara Town Community Town Hall Date: Monday January 12th 2015 Time: 8.00am Press Contacts: Agnes Fallah Kamara Umunna agnesumunna@yahoo.com	Facia B. Harris Ultimate828@yahoo.com

January 12 – Monrovia, Liberia, Local and International civil society and community base organizations launch 21 days of temperature check to help create awareness and combat the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia. The project is been launched under the Theme: Listening to Communities; Engaging Community Partners to Know Ebola and Prevent Transmission of EVD 21 Days Body Temperature Check.

According to Agnes Mam Fallah-Kamara Umunna, Executive Director and Founder of Straight From The Heart and One Liberia Radio, the project is a significant step by local and international non-profit organizations to create awareness in communities in and around Monrovia on the importance of prevention mechanisms, which includes 21 days of body temperature monitoring.

“We are reaching out to 10 households in the community to deliver the education of Ebola prevention and transmission by checking and monitoring body temperatures for 21 days” She said. In addition, the team of civil society organizations will also be providing tutorials to all school-age children in the 10 households in and around Monrovia on other how to protect themselves against catching the deadly virus which has already claimed the lives of thousands of Liberians and people in neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone.

The team is working to increase community level of knowledge and understanding of Ebola, reshape attitudes and increase awareness, promote safer practices, prevent EVD transmission, and most importantly, provide education to children in the wake of the Ebola virus carnage on the general population.

The 21 days body temperature check campaign partners include;

·        Straight From The Heart (SFTH)

·        One Liberia Advocacy Radio online

·        Paramount Young Women Initiative (PAYOWI)

·        Citizens Organized for the Promotion of Transparency and Accountability (COPTA)

·        Serene Health For All Mobile Clinic

·        Piso Community Outreach(PCO)

·        OCI Farm Training Organization

·        Uniting Distant Stars Inc.

·        Ministry of Health

·        Local Radio Journalists

This 21-Day project will entail preventive measures such as recording body temperature of contacts, washing of hands, distribution of hand sanitizers and education on hygiene and personal health care measures.

The campaign also intends to give people the opportunity to tell their stories, their pains, their fears, agonies, joys and expectations. The organizers plan is to highlight the stories of other Ebola fighters, their frustrations, challenges and successes, and hence cover the effect of Ebola on various aspects of lives in the communities, especially new habits, changed cultures and economic failures. This is an adventure, which will involve community based groups and organizations breaking new grounds and reaching out to unheard voices of the Ebola battle.

With boots on the ground, engaging communities at the frontline, and raising awareness on fight against Ebola community base organization are ready to finally kick Ebola out of Liberia.