Testimony of Matu Kamara, Ebola Survivor from Sierra Leone

This testimony was recorded in Liberia on 17 July 2014 at Foya district's treatment centre.
“We survivors should have a certificate to show people that we had Ebola and we were treated,” shares 52-year old Matu Kamara from Koindu town, Kailahun in Sierra Leone. Matu lost her only child and sister to the disease. Matu adds, “Ebola can be cured once you submit yourself early for treatment. Do not wait to become very sick before going to the hospital.” She has decided to stay with her relatives as she recovers from her loss and plans to build her new life after Ebola in Foya.
For health systems fighting the Ebola outbreak, it is important to identify survivors in order to record their experiences and support community awareness efforts by sharing their ordeals and how they managed to survive Ebola. It indeed helps to alleviate some resistance, panic, denial, and misconceptions that local populations often have about this disease.