Abstract

Illustrated talk from team members of Public Health England (PHE) Ebola diagnostic laboratories in Sierra Leone, and introducing EducAid Sierra Leone who run free schools in Sierra Leone.

Jane and Julia will talk about their experiences working in the laboratories in Sierra Leone. They will discuss how they set about getting to grips with laboratory diagnostic techniques for Ebola and their realisation, from analysing all death swabs, that so many of the “natural” deaths in Sierra Leone are in children under one year old. They will also talk about how their experiences of the country and its people.

Miriam will talk about EducAid. EducAid runs free schools in Sierra Leone largely funded by schools in the UK. “We provide distinctive, personalised, top-quality, holistic education and support to vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans. We are a UK registered charity that promotes and provides high quality, holistic education among the underprivileged and war affected young people of Sierra Leone. We believe that the education of young men and women is essential to: unlock human potential, overcome poverty, improve wellbeing, build democracy, and that it is the cornerstone of stable development.” www.educaid.org.uk