Facebook has announced an exciting new initiative to help fight Ebola.
Over the next week, people on Facebook will see a message at the top of their News Feeds with an option to donate to Save the Children's Ebola relief efforts.
“For Facebook users in 34 countries, this initiative provides a simple and desperately needed way to donate to the worst Ebola outbreak in history,” said Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children. “This groundbreaking initiative gives us the chance to raise the funds we sorely need to turn the tide on Ebola and stop the disease in its tracks.”
Save the Children is working in the affected countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia by training health workers, teaching people how to limit the risks to themselves and their families, distributing protective kits, and providing much-needed medical equipment. Their teams are also providing psychosocial support to survivors and helping child welfare committees identify and refer unaccompanied or abandoned children to appropriate services.
Just this week, Save the Children opened its first specialist Ebola Treatment Center (ETC) in Sierra Leone as part of its integrated response strategy to contain the transmission of this deadly disease. The 80-bed facility provides diagnosis and treatment to infected patients, while ensuring that children receive the care and protection they need.
“We need to get Ebola under control in the near term so that it doesn’t spread further and become a long term global health crisis that we end up fighting for decades at large scale, like HIV or polio,” said Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook.
All money raised will go directly to charities working on the ground, like Save the Children. To learn more about Save the Children’s Ebola response, please visit www.savethechildren.org/ebola.
