The Ebola crisis in West Africa has killed over 1,000, and charities here are looking to help educate and prevent further outbreak of the disease.
Canmore’s CAUSE Canada (Christian Aid for Under-Assisted Societies Everywhere), an international charity in its 19th year, has started an Emergency Ebola Fund with hopes of reaching approximately 500,000 in Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, with a preventative message.
“We are going to be talking about the truth as to what this disease is all about,” said CAUSE Canada founder and director of special projects Paul Carrick, adding CAUSE Canada’s Sierra Leone office is reaching hundreds of thousands of people with posters, street theatre, and native tongue radio broadcastings.
“Mostly, we’re going to be talking about how we can prevent it and enable people not to become infected, and what health practices they should embrace to diminish their risk of infection.”
Carrick says CAUSE Canada’s expertise and primary message is on prevention of the virus. They will also educate on how the disease spreads, when it’s dangerous, when it’s not dangerous, how to identify someone with the Ebola virus, and what needs to be done with an individual once they become sick.
According to the World Health Organization, early symptoms of Ebola include severe illness often onset by sudden fever, weakness, muscle pain, headaches and sore throat. Stopping the spread of the deadly disease requires early identification of these and isolation of the subject.
Gloves, masks, disinfectant, and hand sanitizers have been distributed by CAUSE Canada for rural healthcare workers. Public sanitation stations are being installed at health centres, community hubs, and at public schools.
Carrick says the World Bank is discussing with CAUSE about building a curative or isolation treatment centre in a city CAUSE is located in.
“At the moment, there is only one curative centre in all of Sierra Leone,” Carrick said. “(CAUSE Canada is) probably going to do (build another curative centre) it, but we need to find the funding for it. We won’t run it, but we’ll build it and turn it over to Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and they will have the responsibility to run that treatment and/or curative centre. Our expertise is in prevention, not curative medicine.”
As part of the presentation and education process, CAUSE hosts an annual charity run in Canmore to help raise funds for overseas programs.
Bev Carrick, Executive Director at CAUSE, will run in the event for the fourth time and thinks it’s a great way to raise awareness each year.
“I’m competing because I really believe in the cause, and the situation in West Africa is really quite desperate. It’s a country which CAUSE Canada has been active in for years, so we feel it’s a moral imperative to get involved and to do something about this crisis,” Bev said.
The Canmore Rocky Mountain Half Marathon, 10 kilometre and five km, takes place Sept. 7. Participants start at the Lawrence Grassi Middle School, with the first run starting at 8:45 a.m.
If previous years are any indication, CAUSE anticipates approximately 2,000 participants will be out on the day. All proceeds will go to education and prevention of the Ebola disease.
“It’s the biggest race in town,” Bev said.
For more information about CAUSE Canada and its Ebola prevention efforts, go online to www.CAUSE.ca
