Friend,
Ten years ago, the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record tore through West Africa, infecting nearly 30,000 people and killing 11,300 people.
Since our response to that outbreak, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been at the forefront of using better treatments and tools to stop this deadly disease. Lifesaving innovations like these are made possible by our generous donors and global movement of supporters.
In 2014, no treatment for Ebola existed. Today, MSF has tools like the single-dose ERVEBO vaccine—which, a new MSF study showed, can cut mortality figures of those infected by half.
Learn more about the progress we’ve made treating Ebola and the work that lies ahead in this brief explainer video.
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In addition to medical innovations, we re-evaluated how we care for patients infected with Ebola.
Previously, patients were treated in large, closed treatment centers. Today, our teams take a decentralized approach, treating patients in smaller centers close to their communities. This means patients receive treatment earlier, have a better chance of surviving, and prevent the disease from spreading further in communities.
Here are some more ways we’ve made progress in treating Ebola over the past decade:
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Changing the structure of treatment centers, including using plexiglass so that patients and their loved ones can still see each other.
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Using mobile clinics to bring care directly to patients in their communities.
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Improving follow-up care for patients after their recovery to ensure their well-being and that the virus doesn’t linger in their system.
These innovations are made possible by the independent financial support of our donor community.
Significant challenges lie ahead—from the high price of vaccines and medicines to the power private corporations hold over access to treatment. MSF will continue breaking down barriers to medical care whenever and wherever we see them. Hear more from Ebola expert Dr. Michel Van Herp and reflect on MSF's advances and the work still ahead.
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