title: Response to the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone.
abstract: The Ebola outbreak in 2014 marked the first time that an epidemic of this viral haemorrhagic fever had occurred in West Africa. From its origin in Guinea, the outbreak rapidly increased to become a humanitarian crisis affecting all aspects of life in the three countries worst affected: Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Improving understanding of Ebola virus disease among the general population and instigating the behavioural changes required to help break the epidemic were central to the public health response. This article explores some of the misconceptions about Ebola as it spread into Sierra Leonean communities, and the social mobilisation response of the government of Sierra Leone. It is a reflective account of conversations with Sierra Leonean nationals during a military deployment at the International Security Advisory Team headquarters medical treatment facility in Freetown.
authors.affiliation: 22 Field Hospital, Normandy Barracks, Aldershot, England.
authors.forename: Beauty Chiedza
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bowley
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roper
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western; D054597:Disaster Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D029043:Ebolavirus; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Cultural issues; Ebola virus disease; social mobilisation