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Ebola survivors in West Africa to share
stories via mobile app, to help fight stigma
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[January 05, 2015]
DAKAR (Reuters) - Ebola survivors in
the three West African countries worst hit by the epidemic will share
their stories through a mobile application to be launched on Monday, in
a UNICEF-backed campaign to inform and fight stigma around the disease.
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 The Ebola outbreak, the worst on record of the highly infectious
haemorrhagic fever, has killed over 7,900 people with more than
20,000 cases recorded mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia,
according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Although many people have survived the disease, they still face
rejection and stigma from their communities, while the virus
continues to spread due to lack of information and denial, according
to the WHO and other health organizations.
The campaign called #ISurvivedEbola, is funded by U.S philanthropist
and co-founder of Microsoft Paul G. Allen's foundation which has
committed $100 million to fight the disease. UNICEF, the U.N.
children's agency is collaborating in the project.
Survivors in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia will be given
smartphones and will document their stories and exchange tips on how
to cope with it for a mobile app, which will be available to the
public, the backers said in a statement.
"While treatment of Ebola patients is critical, the best way to end
the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is to cut the chain of
transmission and prevent further infections," Rafael Obregon of
UNICEF said in the statement.
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"I Survived Ebola is reinforcing our efforts by providing this
information in multiple, highly entertaining forms, including
through the testimonies of actual survivors,” Obregon said.
Survivors who have agreed to contribute include Camara "Fanta"
Fantaoulen in Guinea who lost six members of her family to Ebola,
and Decontee Davis, a 23-year-old from Liberia who overcame Ebola
but lost her fiancé.
(Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Susan Fenton)
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