Challenges

West Africa has been hit hard by the Ebola epidemic, which has affected Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Mali, causing massive economic and human losses that have hampered progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in these countries. The epidemic also affected social ties between families due to the increasing manifestations of panic and fear among those infected and those who deal with them as a result of the high number of deaths from the devastating epidemic.

Expectation

Combating the Ebola virus disease in four African countries – Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Mali – following a generous donation from King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz – may Allah have mercy on him – to prevent the spread of the disease outside those countries.

Impact

A safe environment was secured to rehabilitate schools and activate the role of the health sector to deal with epidemics by building advanced health centers and developing other centers, providing infrared thermal sensors to examine suspected diseases, training teachers and health practitioners in the beneficiary countries on disease prevention methods, and establishing sanitation projects to prevent the spread of the disease.