The Ebola virus has ravaged Western Africa, with the current outbreak providing a major challenge for global health. Thousands have been killed in the countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, and many more cases have been confirmed. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that the number of cases could increase to anywhere from 550,000 to (worst-case scenario) 1.4 million by January 2015 if the correct measures are not taken. Furthermore, the outbreak has highlighted the long-standing inequalities of access to health care in these regions, providing more incentive to provide as much assistance as possible.
The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) is responding to the crisis by researching organizations providing humanitarian aid to those affected. All of the organizations below meet CAAP’s due diligence standards for charitable donations.
Doctors Without Borders/Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF): MSF’s Ebola response began in March 2014, as they have shipped tonnes of supplies and have also employed 263 international and 3,084 locally hired staff in the West Africa region. MSF operates six Ebola case management centers, providing approximately 600 beds for isolation. Since the onset of the outbreak, MSF has admitted more than 5,000 patients, with more than 3,000 being confirmed for the virus. MSF’s work has resulted in the survival of more than 1,200 patients from the disease. Learn more. Donate.
Partner In Health: PIH is leading a coalition to battle the outbreak, as they are working alongside two grassroots organizations—Last Mile Health in Liberia and Wellbody Alliance in Sierra Leone. Together, they are training health workers, identifying sick patients, and delivering quality care. PIH is also actively recruiting clinicians, logisticians, and other health professionals to support the work of PIH’s partner organizations. Learn more. Donate.
International Medical Corps: IMC has deployed several emergency response teams to Mali, Sierra Leone and Liberia, providing lifesaving treatment to the infected and expert training to health care workers. The teams are operating Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs) that will provide treatment to upwards of 1.5 million people. The ETUs provide nutrition and sanitation needed to combat the disease, and the training will provide an increase in skilled health care staff available. Learn more. Donate.
Direct Relief: Direct Relief’s response comprises of a series of emergency airlifts of medical resources, most notably being the decisive step of a 747 charter to deliver 100 tons of essential supplies in September. Direct Relief has provided shipments valued at $11.4 million to more than 1,000 hospitals and clinics in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. They continue to mobilize additional shipments to ensure medical staff has the supplies needed to contain the virus. Learn more. Donate.