Ebola outbreak impacts Liberia in ways that go beyond health

Ebola Outbreak

Life has changed drastically in Liberia, one of the worst Ebola-affected countries in West Africa, the center of the outbreak that has claimed 5,500 lives. CCTV America’s Clementine Logan reported this story from Monrovia, Liberia.

In Monrovia, people greet each other with their elbows, rather than the traditional handshake or kisses on the cheek. Residents now know bodily contact runs the risk of catching the deadly virus.

Stigma over the virus has also had adverse affects. Many students applying to university abroad have reported being denied admission because they are from Liberia. Students have also had to deal school closures after the Liberian government halted classes nationwide, leaving tens of thousands with nothing to do.

The World Bank estimated that nearly half of those who were employed when the outbreak began are now jobless.

When the outbreak began, Liberia had only 250 doctors, now due to limited medical resources, the majority of hospitals and clinics have been forced to close.