Update on Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone

August 11, 2014

At the time of this post, Sierra Leone has more than 700 suspected and confirmed cases of Ebola – more than any nation affected by the largest outbreak of Ebola in history. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is keeping a detailed track of suspected and confirmed cases of Ebola and resulting deaths. Ebola has been confirmed in 11 of Sierra Leone’s 12 districts, including Moyamba, where our Bauya project is located, Bo, where we conduct a fair amount of business, and Freetown, the nation’s capital and where many of our friends in Bauya have relatives. This map provides an updated look at where the disease has spread throughout West Africa.

We are strongly encouraging our employees in Bauya to follow all issued precautions to avoid contracting the disease, including frequent hand washing and bleach rinsing, and avoiding human contact, especially contact that is a part of traditional funeral practices. We also confirm regularly with Sullay Turay, our lead representative on the ground, that anyone experiencing a symptom of Ebola should seek help immediately rather than hide, which is a common local response due to a significant level of cultural mistrust.