Recently we have had several people contact us with prayer requests and questions concerning Ebola here in West Africa. We appreciate your prayers for our family and others and ask that you continue to pray for the Ebola crisis in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
We are carefully monitoring the Ebola crisis and its developments. To date there have been no reported cases in Ivory Coast and we personally are not located anywhere near any of the affected areas of the outbreak. However, we do have contingency plans in case Ebola were to spread closer to our area. Briefly, Ivory Coast had closed its land borders to people entering from Liberia and Guinea, but have since opened them back up.
Extensive news coverage is causing many to be concerned, but our national partners and we are closely following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization.
We are not taking Ebola lightly, however, we do want to reiterate that the risk to us contracting Ebola is very, very low. Though it is a high infectivity disease (meaning, if exposed to the virus, there is a high likelihood of acquiring the disease), it is NOT a highly contagious disease (meaning, it is not easily transmitted from one person to the next).
Ebola is a very scary disease for many reasons, but it is not a mysterious disease that we know nothing about. We know how it is spread and the things that one can do to protect oneself from being exposed to it. CMF personnel are taking all the necessary precautions needed to avoid coming in contact with the Ebola virus if it should come to our countries.
Attached is a very good and informative article concerning the Ebola crisis. It was an interview with one of the leading experts involved in the outbreak who has a very good understanding of Africa. It sheds light on both fears and misconceptions concerning Ebola, as well as explaining the serious challenges facing the international healthcare community. It is a little long, but worth the read if you are serious about understanding and praying for the Ebola crisis. Dr. Daniel Bausch Knows The Ebola Virus All Too Well
Again, thank you for your prayers and concerns.
