We Can Absolutely Stop the Spread of Ebola

By Robin Kim

While Thomas Duncan was dying from Ebola in Dallas, Texas, two brothers, Ali, 6, and Satique, 9, were recovering. They are leaving their treatment center in Sierra Leone to return home to their dad.

Tales of survival are rare moments of triumph in an epidemic whose power to terrify is having deadly consequences on economies and societies. Yet these bright spots also deserve to be known because they can lead to more bright spots, greater impact -- and hope transformed into truth.

Other bright spots include UNICEF, which is using its global presence, knowledge, relationships and infrastructure to identify, develop and propagate the best ways to contain and treat Ebola. Its door-to-door prevention campaign will reach every household with life-saving information and protection kits.

These bright moments include that of Dr. Paul Farmer: His organization, Partners in Health, provides community-based care for millions in the developing world, and his efforts to curb Ebola in Liberia are yielding success. “There is no need for the majority of people with Ebola to die if they're diagnosed quickly and receive effective and prompt supportive care,” he told an audience in San Francisco last week. “The best way to stop Ebola is to wipe it out at the source, where the epidemic is currently out of control.”

They include Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s opinion editorial in Wednesday’s Financial Times, showing how decisive leadership, with the right resources and a highly coordinated response, are resulting in a halt of the disease in the country since its first incident on July 20, with 12 survivors from Nigeria’s 20 victims.

They include Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's foundation, which has partnered with UNICEF and UPS to deliver more protection aid via a $3.6 million matching gift fund, enabling more successes to be possible.

And within the Bay Area, one year ago the U.S. Fund for UNICEF opened its eighth regional office in San Francisco – another bright moment. The timing could not have been better. I joined their Board along with seven others.

It is absolutely possible to stop the spread of Ebola -- if we act quickly. And it is also fully in our power to create more bright spots. My donation to UNICEF to stop Ebola, for example, will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Yours will too. It doesn’t have to be a big donation. It can be $1, or $10. It doesn’t matter how much. It simply matters that we do something. Give something.

Here’s the link to donate. Let’s do it.

Image credit: UNICEF/NYHQ2014-1522/La Rose

Robin Kim is a member of the Northwest Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF