SIERRA LEONE / EBOLA STIGMA

The stigma of Ebola in Sierra Leone is on the rise, affecting people who have survived the disease as well as those who have not contracted it, but may be suffering from a different ailment.  Several groups are drawing on lessons learned from the discrimination faced by HIV-AIDS sufferers in the past, and see survivors of Ebola as key to reducing the effects of stigma. UNDP

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:18
• Production Date: 22 October 2014
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME - UNDP
• Subject Topical: DISEASE PREVENTION; DISEASE CONTROL; DISEASES; EBOLA
• Geographic Subject: SIERRA LEONE
• MAMS Id: 1215385

Description

STORY: SIERRA LEONE / EBOLA STIGMA
TRT: 2.18
SOURCE: UNDP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 15, 19 OCTOBER 2014 FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE

Shotlist

19 OCTOBER 2014 FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE

1. Wide shot, Freetown
2. Med shot, entrance to Christian Aid

15 OCTOBER 2014 FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeanne Kamara, Country Manager of Christian Aid in Freetown, Sierra Leone:
“As soon as someone is a suspected case, or even suffering from malaria or typhoid, the distinction isn’t there anymore and the lines are a bit grey so as soon as people start presenting Ebola like symptoms, then sometimes families just pack up and run away, or you’re asked to leave the home.”

19 OCTOBER 2014 FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE

4. Various shots, Ebola information signs

15 OCTOBER 2014 FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeanne Kamara, Country Manager of Christian Aid in Freetown, Sierra Leone:
“What people are talking about now is what we did with HIV kind of issues is to work with communities, particularly community leaders, people who hold power at various levels to ensure that some bylaws are passed around stigmatization and there are some penalties. And also making sure that there are some support groups that are established for these people and their issues are dealt with in a way that is sensitive in a way that gives them confidence again in who they are, in a way that they can come back and contribute. Because we feel as well as we learned from the HIV agenda that the survivors from the Ebola virus we can use them as ambassadors. They can be catalysts for sensitization and saying here am I, I went through this, I’ve come through this and I’m well, and I’m being useful to my generation. So I think we’re drawing on lessons to make sure we’re working with others with our partnerships for change strategy to ensure that we come up with a kind of collaborative, coordinated solution around stigmatization.”

19 OCTOBER 2014 FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE

6. Various shots, Freetown

Storyline

The stigma of Ebola in Sierra Leone is on the rise, affecting people who have survived the disease as well as those who have not contracted it, but may be suffering from a different ailment.

Jeanne Kamara, Country Manager of Christian Aid in Freetown, Sierra Leone, said that “as soon as people start presenting Ebola like symptoms, then sometimes families just pack up and run away, or you’re asked to leave the home.”

Anticipating a rise in stigmatization, several groups are drawing on lessons learned from the discrimination faced by HIV-AIDS sufferers in the past, and see survivors of Ebola as key to reducing the effects of stigma.

In Sierra Leone, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is involved in community engagement, including running public information campaigns on how to prevent infection and where to seek treatment, and how to accurately identify its symptoms.