The Salvation Army, has joined the fight against the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia which is "spreading like wildfire", according to its defence minister Brownie Samukai in an address to the UN Security Council. Two thousand people have been diagnosed with the disease in the country so far. 

The charity, a member of the Alliance, has recruited 40 volunteer workers to bolster the work of distributing sanitizers, gloves and mouth guards, to protect 17 communities where Ebola is prevalent. Residents in these areas are particularly susceptible to the disease due to poverty and unhygienic living conditions. Food packages, including rice, beans and cooking oil, have also been offered to families in particular need.  

The Salvation Army’s primary focus is now on the Eternal Love Winning Africa Hospital, which has become the country’s main centre for treating patients diagnosed with or suspected of carrying Ebola.

In cooperation with other agencies, The Salvation Army’s William Booth Clinic team along with trained emergency responders from the church and charity’s headquarters in Monrovia, are partnering to help around 5,000 affected individuals. 

The Ebola outbreak, considered to be the worst to date and the first of its kind in West Africa, began in March this year and has spread through Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This severe, often fatal disease has claimed more than 1,800 lives in the region, 871 of those being in Liberia.

Thousands of individuals have benefitted from The Salvation army intervention, including inmates at the national Monrovia Central Prison, where The Salvation Army was requested to extend its distribution by the local authorities. 

Disinfectant and protective clothing has been supplied by The Salvation Army to medical practitioners tackling the epidemic, which is important in order to ensure their safety as they carry out their duties.

Donations to The Salvation Army's ongoing disaster relief work in Africa can be made online here.