Ei-iE

With the outbreak continuing to spread and the death toll rising, Education International is teaming up with affiliates in Western Africa, drafting plans to secure schools and raise awareness on prevention.

West Africa is currently struggling with the worst Ebola outbreak in history, while the first cases outside of the continent have been diagnosed in the past few weeks, raising international concern and increasing efforts to curb the virus. Most recent records show that in Africa the outbreak has already killed over 4400 people - 47% of those known to have been infected, predominantly in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Senegal.

“Ebola is everybody’s business”, reads the slogan of the awareness campaign that Education International (EI) is promoting in the Gambia alongside its national affiliate, The Gambia Teachers’ Union (GTU).

With no cases of the deadly disease confirmed in the country, national authorities and trade unions are maximising efforts to prevent it from spreading into the territory. For Gambia, the campaign is focused on awareness, primarily making it a prevention strategy through communication. The union will develop Information, Education and Communication (IEC) as well as Behavioral Change and Communication campaign materials with the support of EI, targeting schools in seven different regions. Here, awareness-raising will mainly be created through the distribution of posters, brochures and stickers, radio programmes and TV talk shows.

The solidarity development unit of EI is leading talks with other affiliates in Western Africa in order to develop similar prevention plans where needed. Future projects may take place in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.