Australians are being urged to donate to the Red Cross to assist volunteers in West Africa attempting to contain the Ebola virus from spreading.
“The idea of a deadly and contagious virus with no cure is terrifying. So imagine the courage it would take to nurse a neighbour who is sick from the Ebola virus, or bury your highly infectious wife, husband, child, sister or brother,” Head of International Program, Australian Red Cross, Peter Walton said in a letter released to media today.
“That is exactly what 1,800 Red Cross volunteers are doing right now in West Africa. They are going door-to-door to help their communities survive an Ebola outbreak that has claimed over 1,400 lives and infected more than 2,600 people in four countries. The number of deaths is growing by the day and each death is entirely preventable.”
Mr Walton said “Red Cross is educating millions of people to prevent further infections”, but it is “fast becoming more than a major health emergency”.
“Due to the health crisis, many communities are having difficulty accessing essential services, such as food and water. We can all lend a hand to control this terrible virus.”