Published: 31 Mar 2016 - 12:00 am | Last Updated: 09 Nov 2021 - 03:37 pm
Photographs by: AHMED JALLANZO, EPA
Photographs by: AHMED JALLANZO, EPA
Victoria Topay and her children pose for a family portrait at her home in West Point, Monrovia, Liberia, 24 March 2016. The empty chairs are a symbolic representation of Victoria's late husband and family members who died of the Ebola virus during an outbreak of the disease in 2014.
Rachael Fayia (C) and her children Binta Jalloh (L), Fatmata Jalloh (R), Naomi Dee (2-R) pose for a family portrait at their home in West Point, Monrovia, Liberia, 12 March 2016. The empty chair is a symbolic representation of Rachael's husband who died of the Ebola virus during an outbreak of the disease in 2014.
Sisters Diamond Moore (R) and Secret Moore (L) pose for a family portrait at their home in the Pipeline Community outside Monrovia, Liberia, 21 March 2016. The empty chair is a symbolic representation of Diamond and Secret's late mother, father, grandmother and aunt who died of the Ebola virus disease during an outbreak of the disease in 2014.
Musu L. Kromah poses for a family portrait at her home in West Point, Monrovia, Liberia, 24 March 2016. The empty chairs are a symbolic representation of Musu's late parents and five other family members who died of the Ebola virus during an outbreak of the disease in 2014.
Siblings Comfort Yeah (L), Silvia Yeah (C) and Melvin Yeah (R) pose for a family portrait at their home in Monrovia, Liberia, Liberia, 12 March 2016. The empty chair is a symbolic representation of the Yeah siblings' late mother who died of the Ebola virus disease during an outbreak of the disease in 2014.
Lorpu Kollie (L) and her brother Anthony Kollie (R) pose for a family portrait at their home in the Pipeline community in a suburb of Monrovia, Liberia, Liberia, 21 March 2016. The empty chairs are a symbolic representation of Lorpu's and Anthony's late parents and other family members who died of the Ebola virus disease. Their bodies were cremated outside Monrovia.
Yata Sesay (C) with her children Sidikie Sesay (3-L), Siafa Sesay (2-L), Haja Sesay (3-R), Foday Sesay (2-R) and Foday Sesay (4-R) pose for a family portrait at their home in West Point, Monrovia, Liberia, 13 March 2016. The empty chair is a symbolic representation of Yata's late husband, Mohammed Sesay, who died of the Ebola virus disease. His body was cremated outside Monrovia.
Mohammed Kromah, an Ebola survivor, poses for a family portrait at his home in West Point, Monrovia, Liberia, 12 March 2016. The empty chairs are a symbolic representation of Mohammed's late wife and children who died of the Ebola virus during an outbreak of the disease in 2014.
Mariama Bah (R), and her children Kadijatu Jalloh (C) and Binta Jalloh pose for a family portrait at their home in West Point, Monrovia, Liberia, 13 March 2016. The empty chairs are a symbolic representation of Mariama's late husband and son, Alhaji Cellou Jalloh and Alpha Umaru Jalloh, who died of the Ebola virus disease. Their bodies were cremated outside Monrovia.
Brothers Fatu Hawa Risks (L), Frances E. Risks (C) and Raymond Risks (R) pose for a family portrait at their home in West Point, Monrovia, Liberia, 24 March 2016. The empty chairs are a symbolic representation of the boys' late father, mother and brother who died of the Ebola virus during an outbreak of the disease in 2014.
BACDROP
March 30, 2016 marks the second anniversary Liberia recorded its first two cases of Ebola in Foya district, Lofa County near the border with Guinea. The Ebola epidemic claimed the lives of more than 11,300 people and infected over 28,500. The disease brought devastation to families, communities, health and economic systems of all three most affected countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
The deadly Ebola virus that plagued West Africa in 2014 and 2015 has been stopped but the ramifications of its devastation will be felt forever in the lives of loved ones left behind. Liberia's first two cases of Ebola were confirmed and recorded on March 30th, 2014 from the provincial town of Foya, in Lofa County near the border with Guinea.
Liberia along with Sierra Leone and Guinea is one of the three West African states hardest hit by the Ebola virus with more than 10,600 Ebola cases recorded and more than 4,800 deaths. According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, Liberia now has more than 4000 Ebola survivors. Ebola survivor's clinic are currently busy treating post-Ebola symptoms such as joint pains, dizziness, blurred vision and impaired concentration. These are some of the main physical symptoms. Psychologically there is much work still to be done.
Even though Liberia has been declared Ebola free many Liberians still maintain the culture of hand washing as a proper hygiene defence against the disease whilst others are not observing the preventive measures at all. There are still chlorinated water buckets placed in public buildings, businesses, homes and religious centres around the capital Monrovia and in many other parts of the country.
During the outbreak, Liberians clashed with a burial team trying to bury 22 bodies in their community and the government ordered all corpses of those who died to be cremated. The cremation of the dead is completely alien to the Liberian cultural and traditional practices of disposing of the dead but was necessary for the obvious health risk the corpses posed. This was one example of the complex pressures Ebola placed on the countries customs and traditional practices.
