Untimely Ends and the Pandemic Imaginary

On 1 October, Ramatou, 15, holds a young child at the newly opened Ebola treatment centre run by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the city of Kenema in Eastern Province. Ramatou’s parents and most of her relatives died from Ebola a week ago. Her three siblings are also at the treatment centre. Kenema District is under quarantine. In an attempt to curb spread of the disease, almost half of Sierra Leone’s 6.34 million population is now under quarantine. In early October 2014, Sierra Leone is among countries in West Africa affected by the worst outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history. As of 16 September, UNICEF estimates that 8.5 million children and young people under the age of 20 live in areas affected by EVD in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, countries where disease transmission is widespread and intense. Of these, 2.5 million are under the age of 5. Preliminary UNICEF estimates (as of 30 September) also indicate that at least 3,700 children in the three countries have lost one or both parents to EVD since the start of the outbreak. By 1 October, 4,080 cases and 2,071 deaths had been confirmed in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. UNICEF remains at the forefront of efforts to respond to and help curtail the outbreak, and is the lead agency for the United Nations on social mobilization in the Ebola response. In Sierra Leone – where 2,179 cases and 575 EVD deaths were confirmed by 1 October – UNICEF is supporting social mobilization efforts, including Ebola prevention messaging and outreach and the creation and distribution of awareness-raising materials. UNICEF assistance also includes psychosocial support for patients and their families, contact persons and community members affected by EVD; training for medical staff; and training for adults and children on EVD. UNICEF is seeking US $200 million as part of a broader six-month appeal for US $987.8 million by governments and humanitarian agencies, to respo