Despite the Liberian government’s claim that $12 million have been spent on the prevention and treatment of Ebola, infected bodies lie on Monrovia’s street corners, neglected and overshadowed by stigma.
The corpses continue to pile up as the government has issued strict instructions that no one is allowed to care for sick relatives. Rather than face quarantine — or worse, community stigmatization — the sick are abandoned and they eventually die alone. There are simply not enough ambulances to collect the bodies, so these are left to rot on the streets for days until mass protests force the authorities to collect the corpses.
In late August, Liberia reported having spent $12 million to contain the epidemic. In the capital, the only two operating ambulances were purchased with the help of international nongovernmental organizations by Saah Joseph, a local politician.
About the author
Prince Kreplah
Prince Kreplah is chair of Liberia’s CSO WASH Network. An expert on water, sanitation and hygiene, Kreplah is working on the ground with communities to tackle the ongoing Ebola crisis, advocating for increased collaboration between civil society and governments, adequate provision of WASH and the improvement of public health systems.
