After Ebola.

Date:
2016
  • Audio

About this work

Description

This programme follows Dr John Wright as he returns to Sierra Leone to witness the closure of an Ebola treatment centre he ran in Moyamba as one of the first NHS volunteers during the outbreak in 2013-2015. The programme is interspersed with diary entry recitals by Wright, which compare his experiences of Moyamba during and after the outbreak. To begin, Wright argues that the destruction of health services in Sierra Leone was a direct result of the Ebola outbreak reaching a state of emergency within public health. He discusses the wider consequences for health and health services borne out of the epidemic, such as a rise in cases of Tuberculosis. Wright talks to the President of the Women’s Forum for Sierra Leone Maude Peacock about the reasons for the rise in teenage pregnancy as a direct result of Ebola. Wright and HR Administrative Assistant Idris Aikai discuss the inevitable loss of employment after the closing of the Moyamba treatment centre. Project Coordinator Alberto Bonet Tous describes his experience working in Sierra Leone during the outbreak. Wright talks to Javier Montero, Infection Prevention and Control, about the practical complications involved in deconstructing an Ebola-infected treatment centre. Wright visits a test centre for nurses, who are learning how to identify symptoms of Ebola and prevent future epidemics. He then visits various rural health clinics across Moyamba to assess their standards and provisions for infection control. Wright talks to the Medical Superintendent of Moyamba Hospital about the current state of its equipment. Wright then talks to the head teacher and pupils of a local school about their closure during the outbreak. Various Ebola survivors recount their experiences suffering and recovering from the virus. Sound clips are played of contemporary news items reporting on the condition of Pauline Cafferkey – a British nurse who contracted Ebola during the outbreak. Wright discusses with Ebola survivors and medical professionals about the potential for the virus to lie dormant in the body after remission. Finally, Wright reflects on the legacy the Ebola epidemic has left in Africa.

Publication/Creation

2016.

Physical description

1 CD (28 min) ; 12 cm

Copyright note

BBC Radio 4.

Notes

Originally broadcast on 4th January 2016 on BBC Radio 4.

Creator/production credits

Produced by Susan Mitchell.
Narrated by Dr John Wright.

Type/Technique

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores
    2205A

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