This Ebola outbreak is, by far, the largest and deadliest ever.

CARE emergency teams are in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Mali, helping to stop the spread of disease by distributing hygiene kits and promoting hygiene.

You can help us stop the spread of Ebola – donate to CARE’s Global Emergency Fund. 

The situation

An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus is currently spreading across West Africa. So far, more than 24,500 probable, confirmed and suspected cases have been reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

With more than 10,000 deaths, this Ebola outbreak is, by far, the largest and deadliest ever. Exposure of healthcare workers continues to be an alarming feature of this outbreak, contributing to more than 300 deaths.

As the deadly outbreak rages on, people’s lives are at a standstill, as many are living in fear as voluntary prisoners in their homes. Children are not attending school. People’s livelihoods have been disrupted, as they can’t move about freely to buy and sell goods in the market. CARE is concerned about the long-term consequences the virus will have on the lives of the poor, vulnerable people who may never become infected.

‘It is so frightening to watch people dying of this virus. I have a friend who recently died of Ebola and two weeks later his wife also died, and now their three-year-old son is an orphan,’ said Andrew Katta, a CARE program officer in northern Sierra Leone.

CARE is responding

CARE is supporting health volunteers and raising awareness and surveillance of the virus in the neighbouring countries of Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Benin and Ghana. So far we have reached over nine million people across these countries.

CARE’s emergency teams are working to combat the spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone and Liberia, reaching over 1.7 million people with assistance including:

Distributing hygiene materials such as soap, water buckets and gloves

Showing people proper hand-washing techniques

Promoting hygiene messages through local radio, posters and leaflet drops

CARE is also helping the government of Cote d’Ivoire with an Ebola response plan and is incorporating Ebola awareness into their development training conducted in the western region of the country.

One of the most critical ways to prevent infection is through proper hygiene. Currently, there are hand-washing stations outside every public building. CARE is helping with the distribution of hygiene materials so that eventually there will be hand-washing stations outside every household as well.

CARE is also conducting prevention activities and hygiene promotion in two refugee camps where more than 20,000 refugees are residing in conditions where the disease could spread quickly if an outbreak occurs.

CARE has reached more than 282,000 people through hygiene awareness, including safety messages, the distribution of information posters about Ebola prevention, and hygiene supplies for households.

Another important message of prevention is eliminating some traditional beliefs and practices, such as treating corpses for burial and attending funerals, as corpses are highly infectious.

You can help stop this deadly virus – please give generously to CARE’s Ebola Crisis Appeal.

Donate by phone or mail

Call 1800 020 046 toll free and pay by credit card.

Download this form, print it out and mail it, including a cheque or credit card information

CARE Australia
Reply Paid 61843
Canberra ACT 2601

Donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Should the funds raised through an emergency appeal exceed the amount required to meet the immediate and longer term needs of the people in the affected areas, or if there are changes in circumstances beyond CARE’s control which limit its ability to utilise all funds in the affected areas, CARE will direct excess funds to other emergency relief activities in the future.

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