Ebola continues to cause devastation in West Africa. Every week hundreds of people are dying and without money for treatment and containment it is estimated that the number of cases in the worst affected countries - Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – will continue to grow.
To date there have been nearly 18,000 reported cases of the virus with more than 6,350 deaths, though these figures are widely agreed to be underestimates. Among those who have died are close to 350 health-care workers who have selflessly put themselves at risk in order to help those in need.
Ebola is not only claiming lives, it is also leaving despair in its wake with experts suggesting that as many as 20,000 children have been left destitute and parentless as a result of the outbreak.
Dr Francis Dove Edwin, two-time Olympian from Sierra Leone, is a member of the Sierra Leone Presidential task force to combat Ebola. He and his fellow Sierra Leone Olympians have asked the World Olympians Association to help raise funds for vital medical equipment and emergency supplies.
In order to do this effectively, the WOA has joined forces with Oxfam, one of the world's leaders in emergency response, and US humanitarian NGO Medisend International, a global leader and innovator in transforming healthcare systems in developing countries. Oxfam's teams are working with local communities to stop the spread of Ebola by ensuring people know how to protect themselves and are providing treatment centres and communities with safe water and sanitation facilities. Medisend International is both training healthcare workers and shipping critical medical and personal protective supplies to doctors and nurses on the front lines of the battle against Ebola.
You can help stop the spread of Ebola. Any money you can give will go directly to save lives and help protect the millions of people who are now living in fear in the affected areas.
Please donate and then spread the word so others will donate too. Go to targetebola.org/selfie once you have donated to see how.
International Federations, National Olympic Committees and other sports organisations can find out more about how they support #TargetEbola by visiting our dedicated resources page. Go to targetebola.org/resources to discover what your organisation can do to get behind this important campaign.
