The

Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa The 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in Western Africa, was the most widespread outbreak of the disease in history. It caused major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and S ...

has had a large effect on the culture of most of the West African countries. In most instances, the effect is a rather negative one as it has disrupted many Africans’ traditional norms and practices. For instance, many West African communities rely on traditional healers and

witch doctors A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor) was originally a type of healer who treated ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is now more commonly used to refer to healers, particularly in regions which use traditional healing ...

, who use herbal remedies, massage, chant and witchcraft to cure just about any ailment. Therefore, it is difficult for West Africans to adapt to foreign medical practices. Specifically, West African resistance to Western medicine is prominent in the region, which calls for severe distrust of Western and modern medical personnel and practices. Similarly, some African cultures have a traditional solidarity of standing by the sick, which is contrary to the safe care of an Ebola patient. This tradition is known as "standing by the ill" in order to show one's respect and honor to the patient. According to the Wesley Medical Center, these sorts of traditional norms can be dangerous to those not infected with the virus as it increases their chances of coming in contact with their family member's bodily fluids. In Liberia, Ebola has wiped out entire families, leaving perhaps one survivor to recount stories of how they simply could not be hands off while their loved ones were sick in bed, because of their culture of touch, hold, hug and kiss. Some communities traditionally use

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

and mythical literature, which is often passed on verbally from one generation to the next to explain the interrelationships of all things that exist. However the folklore and songs are not only of traditional or ancient historical origins, but are often about current events that have affected the community. Additionally, folklore and music will often take opposing sides of any story. Thus early in the Ebola epidemic, the song "White Ebola" was released by a diaspora based group and centers on the general distrust of "outsiders" who may be intentionally infecting people. This initial

misinformation Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information. It differs from disinformation, which is ''deliberately'' deceptive. Rumors are information not attributed to any particular source, and so are unreliable and often unverified, but can turn ...

increased the general distrust in foreigners, and the idea that Ebola was not in Africa before their arrival led to attacks on many health workers, as well as blockages of aid convoys blocked from checking remote areas. A burial team, which was sent in to collect the bodies of suspected Ebola victims from

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

in Liberia, was blocked by several hundred residents chanting: "No Ebola in West Point." Health ministries and workers started an aggressive Ebola information campaign on all media formats to properly inform the residents and allow aid workers safe access to the high risk areas. In Guinea, riots broke out after medics disinfected a market in Nzerekore. Locals rumored that the medics were actually spreading the disease. In nearby Womey, 8 people distributing information about Ebola were killed by the villagers.

West African cultural traditions and norms

The Ebola epidemic of 2014 has forced West Africans to face numerous difficulties on a daily basis regarding their traditional norms and practices. In essence, their traditions have been severely disrupted due to the

Ebola virus ''Zaire ebolavirus'', more commonly known as Ebola virus (; EBOV), is one of six known species within the genus '' Ebolavirus''. Four of the six known ebolaviruses, including EBOV, cause a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever in humans and o ...

. For instance, West Africans have had the tendency to remain close to their sick family members to nurse them during illness for centuries. Unfortunately for West African communities, many have been encouraged to keep their distance from their infected family members as potential contact could be fatal. In addition, it is part of their culture to touch the deceased at funerals and for the sister of the deceased's father to bathe, clean, and dress the corpse in a favorite outfit. When there is not an aunt to perform this task, a female elder in their community is then held responsible. Not only is it customary to wash and touch the deceased, but also to kiss those that have passed. Specifically, funerals are considered to be major cultural events for families and friends to gather around to celebrate the deceased. The funeral performances, which involve wailing and dancing, is done out of care and respect for the dead. Funerals in West Africa often last for several days, depending on the status of the person who died. In other words, the more important the person who died was while they were alive, the longer the mourning will last. More importantly, there is a common bowl used for ritual

hand washing Hand washing (or handwashing), also known as hand hygiene, is the act of cleaning one's hands with soap or handwash and water to remove viruses/bacteria/microorganisms, dirt, grease, or other harmful and unwanted substances stuck to the hands ...

towards the end of the ceremony, including a final kiss or touch on the face, which is to be bestowed on the dead. This is commonly referred to as a "love touch." The Wesley Medical Center has confirmed that prohibiting West African families from performing such rites is a disgrace as it insults the deceased, putting the remaining family in danger. Specifically, it is believed that the dead person's spirit, also known as "tibo," will cause harm and bring illness to the family as a result of an improper burial.

Resistance to Western medicine

Resistance to Western medicine is considered to be a significant barrier to battling the Ebola virus. The Wesley Medical Center claims that the interference with West African burial rituals caused by Western medical practices has prohibited them from properly honoring their loved ones. They believe that this may have been a reason for heightened distrust in medical professionals, and that the mistrust enhances each time family members of infected persons are prohibited from participating in the funeral or seeing the dead body in person. Due to the mistrust, Ebola-stricken communities in Liberia reportedly hid family members with Ebola from health care providers and held secret burials. In Sierra Leone, health workers made more progress because health measures were implemented according to WHO guidance, which advises health workers to heed the traditions of the threatened communities when attending to the dead. Therefore, funerals were held in agreement with the wishes of the families, but also gave health workers an opportunity to disinfect the bodies. In many of the Ebola infected areas in Africa, Western medicine is also believed either to be ineffective or to be the actual origin of the virus. In other words, there is a belief among the African community that Western doctors are intentionally killing their patients with their treatments. A conspiracy theory also says that the medical professionals are planning to harvest the organs of those dying from Ebola. Resistance to Western medicine exists also because of the look of the hazmat suits, which are worn by healthcare workers to protect themselves from becoming infected with the Ebola virus. The protective equipment is said to frighten many West Africans and also believed to be hostile and intimidating to the West African families. Lastly, the interference in the family's care for the patient diminishes the honor of the patient as well as hindering the family's duty to provide comfort and care. Regardless of the existing resistance towards Western medicine, handling the bodies of the deceased poses a high risk of contagion as Ebola is contracted through physical contact with an infected person's bodily fluids. This is mainly because preparation for burial includes touching, washing, and kissing as is mentioned above. Those that are preparing for the funeral can become easily infected as they can easily become exposed to the infected person's blood, vomit, diarrhea, and other bodily fluids as these are the main symptoms of the virus.

Traditional medical practices

Apart from the fact that traditional West African healers have been using ritual and herbal remedies for many centuries, the West African people also trust these treatments and find the costs more affordable. Traditional procedures include the following: magic, biomedical methods, fasting, dieting, herbal therapies, bathing, massage, as well as surgery. Surgical procedures often involve cutting a patient's skin with unsterilized knives. Sometimes, traditional healers apply blood to the skin to rid them of their sickness. Despite the severe distrust of Africans in modern medicine, the Ebola virus has been said to spread rampantly across West Africa due to a shortage of healthcare workers and limited medical resources and facilities. The unsanitary conditions in the overall West African region have also made it easier for Ebola to spread.

Personal account of a West African student

Alakey Osei, a student and bank-teller from

Freetown, Sierra Leone Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and po ...

, described the Sierra Leonean capital as a ghost-town, as a result of the increasing death toll in the

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...

n region caused by the

Ebola epidemic This list of Ebola outbreaks records the known occurrences of Ebola virus disease, a highly infectious and acutely lethal viral disease that has afflicted humans and animals primarily in equatorial Africa. The pathogens responsible for the d ...

. Osei states that "everyone is scared to be out of their houses. No one is going to church or mosque, no one is going to work, the kids are not going to school, ndpeople are not even going to the market place". The fact that the city of Freetown has been completely abandoned is foreign to the student, because the nation is and has always been heavily reliant on physical contact and very close interaction. Osei has indicated that following the no touching rule that the medical personnel have been promoting is extremely difficult for her. Osei continues by saying that she does not even know how her people are surviving. In her interview, Osei provides some insight about her childhood. She moved to US in 2008, when she was thirteen years old. She experienced extensive bullying for her obliviousness to

American culture The culture of the United States of America is primarily of Western, and European origin, yet its influences includes the cultures of Asian American, African American, Latin American, and Native American peoples and their cultures. The U ...

and simply for being the "uncivilized" African. For example, others had asked her if she was getting accustomed to wearing shoes since people do not wear shoes in Africa. She was also called names, such as monkey and pre-historic. As a result of this cruelty, she began to believe that American culture was very cold. She also noticed that Americans were "protective of their property", space, and time. She concluded that American society is "extremely individualistic". This truly made her miss living in Africa, "... where every woman is your mother and every man is your father, ... where you are never alone, because everyone is family and family is all around you". As of October 2014, the Ebola virus had not reached her home-town back in Sierra Leone; however, she said that her family still living in the country claimed that Freetown did not "feel like the same place" anymore. Her aunt had told her that people were not sharing food anymore nor spending time at each other's houses as they used to because of the fear of becoming infected. Osei finds it heart-breaking that people in Sierra Leone have turned to isolation as a way to stay Ebola-free. Osei now says that "Freetown has become Fear-town", and that "Ebola has turned us into prisoners in our own country".

Bushmeat

The Ebola virus, for which the primary host is suspected to be

fruit bats In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

, has been linked to bushmeat, which is commonly consumed in areas of West Africa that use it as a protein source. Although primates and other species may be intermediates, evidence suggests people primarily get the virus from bats. Hunters usually shoot, net, scavenge or catapult their prey, and butcher the bats without gloves, getting bites or scratches and coming in contact with their blood. In 2014, the suspected

index case The index case or patient zero is the first documented patient in a disease epidemic within a population, or the first documented patient included in an epidemiological study. It can also refer to the first case of a condition or syndrome (not n ...

for the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is a two-year-old child in

Guéckédou Guéckédou or Guékédou is a town in southern Guinea near the Sierra Leone and Liberian borders. It had a population of 79,140 in 1996 (census) but has grown massively since the civil wars and, , it is estimated to be 221,715. It was a centre o ...

in south-eastern Guinea, who was the child of a family that hunted two species of fruit bat, ''

Hypsignathus monstrosus The hammer-headed bat ('), also known as hammer-headed fruit bat and big-lipped bat, is a megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa. It is the only member of the genus ''Hypsignathus'', which is part of the tribe Epomophorini along w ...

'' and ''

Epomops franqueti Franquet's epauletted fruit bat (''Epomops franqueti'') is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae, and is one of three different species of epauletted bats. Franquet's epauletted fruit bat has a range of habitats, varying from Subsaharan ...

''. Some researchers suggested the case was caused by zoonotic transmission through the child playing with an

insectivorous bat Microbats constitute the suborder Microchiroptera within the order Chiroptera ( bats). Bats have long been differentiated into Megachiroptera (megabats) and Microchiroptera, based on their size, the use of echolocation by the Microchiroptera an ...

from a colony of Angolan free-tailed bats near the village. Despite health organisations warning about risks of bushmeat, surveys pre-dating the 2014 outbreak indicate that people who eat bushmeat are usually unaware of the risks and view it as healthy food. Because of bushmeat's role as a protein source in Western Africa, it is traditionally associated with good nutrition, and efforts to outlaw the sale and consumption of bushmeat have been impossible to enforce and have met with suspicion from rural communities. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that between 30 and 80 percent of protein intake in rural households in Central Africa comes from wild meat. One major Nigerian newspaper published a report about the widespread view that eating

dog meat Dog meat is the flesh and other edible parts derived from dogs. Historically, human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world. During the 19th century westward movement in the United States, ''mountainmen'', native ...

was a healthy alternative to bush meat. Dog meat was implicated in a June 2015 Liberian outbreak of Ebola, where three villagers who had tested positive for the disease had shared a meal of dog meat.

Ebola in print

* '' Crisis in the Hot Zone'' *:Article written for ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' by

Richard Preston Richard Preston (born August 5, 1954) is a writer for ''The New Yorker'' and bestselling author who has written books about infectious disease, bioterrorism, redwoods and other subjects, as well as fiction. Biography Preston was born in Cambri ...

. A short chronicle of how Marburg virus and

may have entered the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. * ''

The Hot Zone ''The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story'' is a best-selling 1994 nonfiction thriller by Richard Preston about the origins and incidents involving viral hemorrhagic fevers, particularly ebolaviruses and marburgviruses. The basis of the book ...

'' *:A

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with b ...

thriller also by Richard Preston, following a few of the incidents and origins of

viral hemorrhagic fever Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a diverse group of animal and human illnesses in which fever and hemorrhage are caused by a viral infection. VHFs may be caused by five distinct families of RNA viruses: the families '' Filoviridae'', ''Flav ...

s. * ''Ebola: A Documentary Novel of Its First Explosion in Zaire by a Doctor Who Was There'' *:A self-written chronicle of American surgeon

William Close William Taliaferro Close (June 7, 1924 – January 15, 2009) was an American surgeon who played a major role in stemming a 1976 outbreak of the Ebola virus in Zaire, the first major outbreak of the viral hemorrhagic fever in Central Africa, a ...

's experiences during the 1976 Ebola outbreak. * '' Executive Orders'' *:A fictional thriller by

Tom Clancy Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of his novels have ...

, where a strain of Ebola virus is used as a

biological weapon A biological agent (also called bio-agent, biological threat agent, biological warfare agent, biological weapon, or bioweapon) is a bacterium, virus, protozoan, parasite, fungus, or toxin that can be used purposefully as a weapon in bioterroris ...

. * ''Ebola: Through the Eyes of the People'' *:A novelization of individuals' experiences and reactions during the 1976 Ebola outbreak by William Close.(1) ''At''

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...

.
(2) * ''Ebola: Die Entfesselte Seuche'' *:The September 2014 issue of the German magazine '' Der Spiegel'' cover featured Ebola-related graphic, and articles about the epidemic. One of the articles had an interview with

Peter Piot Sir Peter Karel, Baron Piot, (born 17 February 1949) is a Belgian-British microbiologist known for his research into Ebola and AIDS. After helping discover the Ebola virus in 1976 and leading efforts to contain the first-ever recorded Ebola epi ...

, one of the discoverers of the Ebola disease in the 1970s. * ''Called for Life: How Loving Our Neighbor Led Us into the Heart of the Ebola Epidemic'' *:A

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiog ...

by an American doctor and his wife about their experiences in Liberia and the United States during the 2013–2016 West African outbreak. Dr.

Kent Brantly Kent Brantly is an American doctor with the medical mission group Samaritan's Purse. While treating Ebola patients in Liberia, he contracted the virus. He became the first American to return to the United States to be treated for the disease. Li ...

became the first American to return to the United States to be treated for Ebola virus disease. ''At''

. * ''Having and Fighting Ebola — Public Health Lessons from a Clinician Turned Patient'' *:In February 2015,

The New England Journal of Medicine ''The New England Journal of Medicine'' (''NEJM'') is a weekly medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It is among the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals as well as the oldest continuously published one. Hi ...

published Dr Craig Spencer's self written account of his fight against Ebola, and the nationwide effects of his infection.

Ebola in film

* ''

Outbreak In epidemiology, an outbreak is a sudden increase in occurrences of a disease when cases are in excess of normal expectancy for the location or season. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire ...

'' *:A medical disaster film, loosely based on Richard Preston's book, ''The Hot Zone'', that focuses on a fictional outbreak of an Ebola-like virus in

Zaire Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...

and the United States. * '' Ebola Syndrome'' *:A fictional film in which the antagonist gets infected by Ebola; however being immune he becomes a living carrier. He then infects many others through his further misdeeds. * ''

Dasavathaaram ''Dasavathaaram'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language science fiction action film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It stars Kamal Haasan, who also wrote the script, in ten distinct roles. Asin appears in two roles and Mallika Sherawat plays a subs ...

'' *:A science fiction disaster film where a bio weapon using a combination of

Marburg Marburg ( or ) is a university town in the German federal state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district (''Landkreis''). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has a population of approxima ...

and Ebola is created. It is eventually destroyed by a "large quantity of salt".

Ebola in music

*"White Ebola" *:A political song by Mr. Monrovia, AG Da Profit and Daddy Cool, centered on the general mistrust of foreigners. *"Ebola Is Real" *:A hip hop tune done in collaboration with Liberian hipco artists F.A., Soul Fresh,

DenG Deng may refer to: * Deng (company), is a Danish engineering, electrical, solar power and sales company in Accra, Ghana * Deng (state), an ancient Chinese state * Deng (Chinese surname), originated from the state ** Deng Xiaoping, paramount leader ...

, Adolphus Scott (a Liberian communication specialist for

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

) and Liberia's Ministry of Health & Social. *"State of Emergency" *:A hip hop tune by Tan Tan B and Quincy B, produced without government involvement. *"Ebola in Town" *:A dance tune by D-12, Shadow and Kuzzy of 2 Kings, a group of West African rappers, warns people of the dangers of the Ebola virus and explaining how to react, became popular in Guinea and Liberia during the first quarter of 2014. A dance was developed in which no body contact was required, a rare occurrence in African dance. Some health care workers from the

IFRC The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 192-member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...

had concerns that the "Ebola In Town" song's warning "don't touch your friend" may worsen the stigma. *"Ebola est là" "(Ebola Is Here)" *:A parody of Rihanna's "Umbrella" by Senegalese rapper Xuman. The song's lyrics warn locals that, "The disease is among our neighbours, Liberians and Guineans." The track was a hit. *"Africa Stop Ebola" *:Features contributions from Malians

Amadou & Mariam Amadou & Mariam are a musical duo from Mali, composed of the Bamako-born couple Amadou Bagayoko (guitar and vocals) (born 24 October 1954) and Mariam Doumbia (vocals) (born 15 April 1958). Their album '' Welcome To Mali'' (2008) was nominated ...

Salif Keita Salif Keïta () (born 25 August 1949) is a Malian singer-songwriter, referred to as the "Golden Voice of Africa". He is a member of the Keita royal family of Mali. Biography Early life Salif Keita was born a traditional prince in the village o ...

Oumou Sangaré Oumou Sangaré ( bm, Umu Sangare; born 25 February 1968 in Bamako) is a Grammy Award-winning Malian Wassoulou musician, sometimes referred to as "The Songbird of Wassoulou". Wassoulou is a historical region south of the Niger River, where the mu ...

Kandia Kouyaté Kandia Kouyaté (also known as Kandja Kouyaté, born in 1959 in Kita, Mali) is a Malian ''jelimuso'' (a female griot) and kora player; she has earned the prestigious title of ''ngara'', and is sometimes called ''La dangereuse'' and ''La grande ve ...

, Guinean

Mory Kanté Mory Kanté (29 March 195022 May 2020) was a Guinean vocalist and player of the kora harp. He was best known internationally for his 1987 hit song " Yé ké yé ké", which reached number-one in Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, and Spain. Th ...

, Sia Tolno, Ivorian

Tiken Jah Fakoly Doumbia Moussa Fakoly (born June 23, 1968 in Odienné), better known by his stage name Tiken Jah Fakoly (), is an Ivorian reggae singer and songwriter. Early life Doumbia Moussa Fakoly was born on 23 June 1968 in Odienné, Kabadougou Region, nor ...

, Congolese Barbara Kanam and Senegalese Didier Awadi. It was recorded to raise awareness of Ebola and offers info on how people can protect themselves from the disease. The song is sung in several local languages, including English, French,

Soussou The Susu people are a Mandé peoples, Mande-speaking ethnic group living primarily in Guinea and Northwestern Sierra Leone, particularly in Kambia District.

, Bambara, Kissi and

Lingala Lingala (Ngala) (Lingala: ''Lingála'') is a Bantu language spoken in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the northern half of the Republic of the Congo, in their capitals, Kinshasa and Brazzaville, and to a lesser degree in ...

. * "Africa Must Stand and Fight Together Fight Ebola" *:A George Weah and Ghanaian musician Sidney produced song to raise awareness about Ebola. All proceeds from the track been donated to the Liberian Health Ministry. * "Ebola Does Not Discriminate" *:A song written and performed by Mohamed S Tyson Conteh ('Special C') with a music video produced by Future View Film Group, Purple Field Productions and WeOwnTV, asking Sierra Leoneans to follow the safe practices and precautions from the health authorities. The song also features a rap from local artist AOK. * "Lilies" *:Grammy winner Lupe Fiasco released a song that includes Ebola as part of the lyrics, produced by The Buchanans and featuring Sirah. Quarantine travel pass sierra leone

* "

Do They Know It's Christmas? "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure consisting of pop ...

" *:At a press conference on 10 November 2014, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure announced the

Band Aid 30 Band Aid 30 is the 2014 incarnation of the charity supergroup Band Aid. The group was announced on 10 November 2014 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, with Geldof stating that he took the step after the United Nations had contacted him, saying help w ...

project in aid of the

Ebola crisis The 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in West Africa, Western Africa, was the most widespread List of Ebola outbreaks, outbreak of the disease in history. It caused major loss of life and Socioeconomics, socioeconomic disr ...

. Artists including

One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...

, Bono,

Chris Martin Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to Uni ...

, Emeli Sande,

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...

, Sinéad O'Connor,

Paloma Faith Paloma Faith Blomfield (born 21 July 1981) is an English singer and actress. Her debut studio album, '' Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?,'' was released in 2009 and was certified double platinum in the UK. The album spawned the sin ...

, Foals and

Bastille The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was stor ...

recorded the adjusted lyrics for the song. On 16 November 2014 the song premiered in Britain's X Factor Sunday night results show, and was formally released on 17 November 2014. * "Ebola (La La)" *:A controversial parody of Fergie's " L.A. Love (La La)", done by Rucka Rucka Ali. * "Let Us Live Together Again" *:An anti-stigma track recorded by Lawrence Logan aka Marvellous, Abigail Vinton, Quincy Borrows and Florence Jlopeh in association with the Liberia Red Cross National Society and produced in collaboration with the Musicians Union of Liberia. The initiative, launched on 13 February 2015 aims to promotes tolerance, solidarity and compassion for the reintegration of Ebola survivors back into their communities.

Ebola in broadcasting

*'' Friends'' *:To break an awkward silence,

Chandler Bing Chandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character from the NBC sitcom ''Friends'', portrayed by actor Matthew Perry. Chandler was born to Nora Tyler Bing, an erotic romance novelist, and Charles Bing, a gay female impersonator and star of a Las Veg ...

says, "So, the Ebola virus. That's gotta suck, huh?" In 2014, when Ebola reached America, some sources incorrectly said Chandler had predicted the Ebola outbreak, even though the disease had been discovered in 1976. * A 5-minute public service advert was carefully crafted by Adolphus Scott and others, to increase general Ebola awareness. The clip runs an estimated 5 times a day on Liberian local TV stations. * Liberian Radio programme directors have increased vernacular Ebola prevention programs' air time on 44 community radio stations to include most of the 30

minority language A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory. Such people are termed linguistic minorities or language minorities. With a total number of 196 sovereign states recognized internationally (as of 2019) a ...

s used in the rural areas. Programmes of 30 minutes, 3 times a day, include commercials, phone-ins and news, broadcast in the

local language * A regional language is a language spoken in a region of a sovereign state, whether it be a small area, a federated state or province or some wider area. Internationally, for the purposes of the European Charter for Regional or Minority L ...

. Only about 20% of Liberians understand English. * A Sierra Leone DJ, Amara Bangura, shares knowledge about Ebola in his weekly show which is transmitted on 35 stations in Sierra Leone. He takes selected questions from the text messages sent in and gets answers from health experts and government officials. * In October 2014, Sierra Leone launched a school by radio program, that will be transmitted on 41 of the local radio stations as well as on the only local TV station. There will be a variety of subjects on the 6 day a week, 4 hour shows. Education Minister

Minkailu Bah Minkailu Bah (died 18 May 2020, Magburaka, Tonkolili District) was a Sierra Leonean politician and Lecturer and served as Sierra Leone's Minister of Education, Youth and Sports. Born in Magburaka Magburaka is the capital and largest city of Ton ...

raised concerns on the difficulty of reaching many of the school children with a 25% radio ownership and less than 2% TV. However schools are not expected to open until early 2015. * A 1-minute

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

public service advert was produced by

International SOS International SOS is a health and security services firm. The company takes around 4 million assistance calls every year and has close to two-thirds of the Fortune Global 500 companies as clients. Services International SOS focuses on helping ...

and

MultiChoice MultiChoice is a South African company that operates DStv, a major satellite television service in Sub-Saharan Africa and GOtv, a minor service operating in over 9 countries of this area and Showmax service. MultiChoice was formed out of the sub ...

. It was created for broadcast on the African satellite service that covers most of Africa. The pay-TV service had 8 million subscribers in Africa at that time. *''#KickEbolOutOfSierraLeone'' *:A group of Sierra Leonean filmmakers, Future View Film Group, put together several educational videos about Ebola. In November

Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educa ...

expressed his support in a quick video backed by the ''Ebola Does Not Discriminate'' track. *'' Surviving Ebola'' *:On 8 October 2014, the US PBS debuted a television show which included first-hand interviews with Ebola survivors. *''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' *:Six US Ebola survivors were interviewed together on the show. *'' Alternative Christmas message'' *:A former Ebola patient who recovered from Ebola after being infected while working as a nurse in West Africa, delivered the UK's

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

Christmas message including info about the spread of the disease.

Ebola conspiracies

* The ''

Liberian Observer The ''Liberian Observer'' or ''Daily Observer Newspaper'' is a newspaper published in Liberia. Based in Monrovia, The Liberian Observer Corporation was founded by Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Y. Best in 1981. An independent newspaper, it states that it ...

'', a major Liberian newspaper, has repeatedly published Ebola-related conspiracy theories. In September 2014 it published an article claiming that Ebola and the AIDS virus are

genetically modified organisms A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with ...

to be used as bio-weapons on Africans in an attempt to reduce Africa's population. In October the story went viral on social media. *As the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa developed in 2014, a number of popular self-published and well-reviewed books containing sensational and misleading information about the disease appeared in electronic and printed formats. The authors of some such books admitted that they lacked medical credentials and were not technically qualified to give medical advice. The World Health Organization and the United Nations stated that such misinformation had contributed to the spread of the disease. * In Liberia, some body-collection teams dispatched to collect the Ebola dead have collected bribes to issue falsified death certificates to family members, stating that their dead relative did not die from Ebola. The body of the Ebola victim would also be left with relatives. Ebola carries a stigma in Liberia, and some families do not want to admit that their relative died of Ebola. Another factor is that families wish to give their relative a traditional burial. * In late October 2014, it was reported that harassment of gay Liberians in Monrovia was occurring after some church leaders said that "God was angry with Liberians over corruption and immoral acts such as homosexuality, and that Ebola was a punishment". The harassment included car windows being smashed and some gay people were forced from their homes and had to go into hiding. * "The Ebola outbreak was sparked by a bewitched aircraft that crashed in a remote part of Sierra Leone, casting a spell over three West African countries – but a heavily alcoholic drink called bitter Kola can cure the virus." * "Some members of the community thought it was a bad spirit, a devil or poisoning." * At the beginning of the outbreak, many did not believe that the disease existed. "I thought it was a lie (invented) to collect money because at that moment I hadn't seen people affected in my community."

General

There are a number of Ebola-themed jokes circulating in West Africa to spread awareness. In July 2014, the Liberian Football Association made an announcement that all soccer related activities would be put on hold "''indefinitely to protect players and fans''." In September 2014, in a joint venture between FIFA and

WHO Who or WHO may refer to: * Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun * Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism * World Health Organization Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book '' Horton He ...

, the

Antoinette Tubman Stadium Antoinette Tubman Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Monrovia, Liberia. It is used mostly for football matches. It has a capacity of 10,000 spectators. In 2014 it was converted into an Ebola treatment unit.African Cup of Nations (AFCON) was temporarily put on hold when the original hosts,

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

, asked the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to postpone the final games till 2016, due to the Ebola outbreak. CAF eventually moved the finals to Equatorial Guinea, which eliminated Morocco from the game as hosts, and brought Equatorial Guinea in, even though they had been eliminated prior. However the qualifiers for 2015 AFCON have been influenced by many countries' fear of Ebola, with many refusing to enter or allow entry of teams from affected countries. In July 2014,

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...

refused entry to the Sierra Leone team. CAF ruled that Seychelles forfeited the game, giving Sierra Leone an automatic pass to the next stage. Lesotho refused to send the Under-20 team to

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. CAF again ruled that Lesotho forfeited the game, sending Nigeria through to the finals. In August 2014, CAF also decided to forbid any official games in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. For Liberia, who had already been eliminated, this was not of concern. Sierra Leone managed to move some home games to the visiting team's home; both home and away games against DR Congo were played in

Lubumbashi Lubumbashi (former names: ( French), (Dutch)) is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country's southeasternmost part, along the border with Zambia. The capital and principal city of the Haut-Katang ...

, and both games against

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

were played in Yaounde. Guinea managed to get their home games moved to Casablanca, Morocco. Even after calls to have the 2015 AFCON postponed, the Equatorial Guinea government and CAF organisers have downplayed these concerns, and insisted that they would have ample measures in place, including: *Temperature check for all passengers arriving at the international airports. *Photograph and fingerprints of international passengers. *Immunization certificates with detailed medical history. *Hand sanitizer to be used at all stadium turnstiles. *30 specialist doctors on standby. On 7 August 2014, a social media hoax message was doing the rounds in

. It urged readers to "''bath with hot water and salt before daybreak''" and to drink as much of it as possible. On 8 August, the person who started the joke message to see how many of their friends would fall for it, identified it as such and posted an apology. The hoax message quickly went viral when "''several gullible, unsophisticated opinion leaders''" repeated the hoax message. Within days many were hospitalized due to excessive salt intake, with 2 deaths in Jos,

Plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

, 2 deaths in Makurdi, Benue and at least 3 deaths in Bauchi. It is ironic that these deaths all happened in states that had no known EVD infected people. In fact only

Lagos State Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Ben ...

and

Rivers State Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa ...

had any infected. Furthermore, the unconfirmed death toll of the hoax cure is as many as the EVD death toll for Nigeria, with 8 deaths each. In two separate incidents in October, flights have been delayed from disembarking because of an Ebola joke. On 8 October 2014,

US Airways US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon ...

flight 845 from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Punta Cana Punta Cana is a resort town in the easternmost region of the Dominican Republic. It is part of the Veron–Punta Cana municipal district, in the Higüey municipality of La Altagracia Province. According to the 2010 census, this district had a ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

was held up for two hours on the tarmac when an American passenger sneezed, then announced "I have Ebola. You're all screwed," during the flight. After landing, he was escorted off the plane by four emergency personnel wearing blue

hazmat suit A hazmat suit (hazardous materials suit) is a piece of personal protective equipment that consists of an impermeable whole-body garment worn as protection against hazardous materials. Such suits are often combined with self-contained breathing ...

s, and detained until medical tests cleared him. On 30 October 2014, during the

Aer Lingus Aer Lingus ( ; an anglicisation of the Irish , meaning "air fleet" compare Welsh 'llynges awyr') is the flag carrier of Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government, it was privatised between 2006 and 2015 and it is now a wholly owned subsidiary ...

flight EI 433, from

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

a passenger wrote "'Attenzione Ebola'" ("Attention Ebola") on a coffee lid before handing it to his daughter. The container and lid were discreetly disposed of, however a flight attendant noticed, and alerted the captain. The passenger was arrested, and later pleaded guilty to "engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behavior on an airplane contrary to the

Air Navigation and Transport Act The Air Navigation and Transport Act is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom Parliament in 1920 which gave the British Empire the authority to control air navigation in the Commonwealth countries and territories. It also put into effect th ...

", and was fined 2500

euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...

References

External links

Ebola and the Culture Makers
{{Filoviridae 2015 Africa Cup of Nations

West African Ebola virus epidemic The 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in Western Africa, was the most widespread outbreak of the disease in history. It caused major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and S ...

West African Ebola virus epidemic