In light of the world’s largest Ebola epidemic, the Faith to Action Initiative has released an article on its website advising its partners on how to respond to this epidemic and its effects on children’s care. The Ebola epidemic, says the article, has claimed the lives of 5,000 people to date – leading to great numbers of parental loss among children, especially in the region of Western Africa. The article references a UNICEF report which states that 3,700 children in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have lost one or both parents to Ebola since the epidemic began. “These numbers,” says the Faith to Action Initiative, “demand urgency and thoughtfulness in our response as we consider how we can best support these children.”
In response to the growing needs of children impacted by this epidemic, as well as the stigma and family separation they often face, the Liberian government has published Guidelines on the Provision of Alternative Care to Children Affected and Infected with Ebola, which outlines a strong framework for supporting families in crisis due to this outbreak, according to the article. The guidelines in this document include keeping children with their families, extended families, and communities as well as strengthening the capacity of social workers to locate extended family members.
The Faith to Action Initiative has also outlined three steps that its partners can take to respond to the needs of these children and their families: Learn, Pray, and Give. Learning involves educating oneself about the Ebola epidemic, to dispel the myths about the disease and the epidemic. The article provides the names of several organizations that are good resources of information on this issue, including the Better Care Network. The Faith to Action Initiative also calls on its partners to pray for the children, their families, and their caregivers and to donate to Faith to Action Initiative or other endorsed organizations to help support the response efforts.