The assessments confirmed that survivors have sought primary treatment from health facilities when they first get sick, with more than 90 percent of both baseline and endline respondents reporting that they had received treatment at a health facility within the past six months (92.3 and 91.7 percent, respectively).
William, a hospital worker in Monrovia, Liberia, contracted Ebola while helping patients during the outbreak three years ago. He was lucky to have survived. But a few months after he was declared Ebola-free, he started having trouble with his eyes. At first they would tear when he tried to read or write, then everything started getting dim. Soon, he could barely see.
The Ebola epidemic severely impacted Liberia’s public health system and left a large population of survivors, many of whom continue to have medical problems related to the virus. From 2016–2018, the USAID-funded Advancing Partners & Communities (APC) project, in collaboration with the Liberian Ministry of Health, strengthened specialty services, rehabilitated hospitals and health facilities, and enhanced health system capacity for managing Ebola survivor care. Health workers in four key counties are now better prepared to manage a future outbreak and to respond to the health conditions of survivors.
Ebola survivors formed the National Ebola Survivor Network of Liberia (NESNL) in September 2014, but they struggled for some time to define and advocate for their needs as a cohesive group. USAID’s Ebola Transmission Prevention & Survivor Services program (ETP&SS), implemented by the Advancing Partners & Communities Project, stepped in to support the organization of their elections and formalize national and county leadership for NESNL.
In December 2016, ETP&SS supported the Liberia survivor association meeting and conducted interviews with five Ebola survivors and survivor association leaders.
APC's Ebola Transmission Prevention and Survivor Services program is focusing on meeting the medical and psychosocial needs of Ebola survivors in Liberia.
The Ebola Transmission Prevention and Survivor Services Program (ETP & SS) launched in July 2016 and is operating under the umbrella of priorities set by USAID’s Global Health Ebola Team. The program works with ministries of health and nongovernmental organizations in regions of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea that are most affected by the Ebola outbreak.
Video describing the ETP&SS cataract surgery program that helped survivors regain their sight. The program also helped researchers find out more about viral persistence of the Ebola virus. Testimonies from Ebola survivors, doctors, and nurses.
JSI, through Advancing Partners & Communities, and the Government of Liberia are providing necessary treatment for Ebola survivors with health problems.
The assessments confirmed that survivors have sought primary treatment from health facilities when they first get sick, with more than 90 percent of both baseline and endline respondents reporting that they had received treatment at a health facility within the past six months (92.3 and 91.7 percent, respectively).