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Home , Bomi County, Gbarpolu County, Grand Bassa County, Grand Cape Mount County, Lofa County, Margibi County

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Humanitaritan Newsletter Information Saves Lives Issue #7 - April 18 - 24 Citizens’ Feedback http://on.fb.me/1NM9DKthttps://www.facebook.com/internewsliberia?fref=ts/internewsliberia Welcome to the Internews Newsletter for humanitarian responders in . This newsletter is created with the intent to support the work of Ebola responders in connecting with the local population and understanding their information needs. Internews welcomes feedback, comments and suggestions from all organizations receiving this newsletter and invites you to forward, share and re-post this newsletter as widely as possible. ROUTINE IMMUNIZATION SCHOOLS

Traditional rulers in are educating members in their Citizens say Ebola prevention measures are being communities on how to differentiate between the Ebola and routine vaccines. respected in all schools. They are also encouraging parents to take their children to centers where they could be given the routine vaccine for free. Lofa Lofa EBOLA PREVENTION MEASURES Residents in say all schools are respecting Ebola prevention measures. But within most residents say the traditional ruler of communities, there is complacency given that there has not Flumpa, a local district in their County, initiated the free been any confirmed Ebola case for serveral weeks. distribution of chlorine and other Ebola preventive materials to all families in a bid to encourage continuous Bong, Grand Geedeh, Grand Kru, prevention measures. Grand Bassa, Nimba & River Cess Nimba BURIAL SITES Citizens say they are no longer following Ebola prevention measures because their County is Ebola-free. Citizens say they now carry on safe burials as recommended by partners fighting Ebola in Liberia. Margibi & Gbarpolu Montserrado The Ebola prevention measures are being respected in the County, according to what the people say. River Cess County residents are asking how long it Sinoe, Grand Cape Mount & Montserrado could take for them to move into sites where their dead Ebola patients were buried. They say it is a customary The people confirm that they do not follow Ebola prevention practice for Liberians to visit the graves of their relatives measures because their County is Ebola-free. and lay flowers on them.

Maryland River Cess

Internews “Information Saves Lives” is a 6-month project implemented under the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (Hc3) funded by USAID. The project aims at building the capacity of Liberian journalists to report accurately about the Ebola disease and to connect local media with the national and international Ebola response. For more information contact Anahi Ayala Iacucci - Internews Liberia Project Director - [email protected] - 0770557985 / 0880950628 or Tapang Ivo Tanku - Health Communication Liaison Officer - [email protected] - 0770461348 http://www.usaid.gov/ https://www.internews.org/ http://www.healthcommcapacity.org/

Humanitaritan Newsletter Information Saves Lives Issue #7 - April 18 - 24 Rumors http://on.fb.me/1NM9DKthttps://www.facebook.com/internewsliberia?fref=ts/internewsliberia

EBOLA VACCINE / FUNDS HUMANITARIAN AID & EBOLA FUNDS

Residents rumor that the Ebola vaccine will infect people In Nimba County, the people say that food supplies were with Ebola. They add that the government seeks to donated to healed Ebola patients by the Norwegian refugee maintain its spread across Liberia. Council (NRC). Montserrado Nimba

Residents suggest that the Liberian government could make a clear distinction between the Ebola and routine vaccines. They add that fear and mistrust are Citizens rumor that Ebola orphans in Jenewonde, an orphanage growing in Grand Bassa County because citizens in the , are not receiving basic supplies including cannot distinguish between the two. clothes, food and medicines. Grand Bassa County Cape Mount

Citizens' rumor that the Ebola vaccine seeks to infect many people with the virus and also sterilize those living in populated countries. Locals rumor that the Liberian government River Cess is deliberately enriching its top officials with Ebola funds that is meant to assist families FOOD DISTRIBUTION that were directly affected by the disease. Montserrado Rumors concerning the WFP food rations being given in a hard-hit area of River Cess County have been spreading. While the local communities are accepting the rice rations, there are rumors that the salt WFP is providing contains the Ebola virus, so the community members are either not accepting (or accepting and throwing away) the salt. River Cess

Internews “Information Saves Lives” is a 6-month project implemented under the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (Hc3) funded by USAID. The project aims at building the capacity of Liberian journalists to report accurately about the Ebola disease and to connect local media with the national and international Ebola response. For more information contact Anahi Ayala Iacucci - Internews Liberia Project Director - [email protected] - 0770557985 / 0880950628 or Tapang Ivo Tanku - Health Communication Liaison Officer - [email protected] - 0770461348 http://www.usaid.gov/ https://www.internews.org/ http://www.healthcommcapacity.org/

Humanitaritan Newsletter Information Saves Lives Issue #7 - April 18 - 24 https://www.facebook.com/internewsliberia?fref=ts/internewsliberia Rumors http://on.fb.me/1NM9DKt

ROUTINE IMMUNIZATION BORDER

The citizens of rumor that there is an The citizens say top government officials do not wash their hands on-going Ebola campaign that has been disguised as a or accept temperature checks at the Salega immigration malaria prevention campaign, targeting all women and checkpoint in Lofa. children. They add that the campaign will start on 25 April 2015 and will be conducted by the County Health Team. Lofa Gbarpolu MALARIA

People rumor that the free distribution of mosquito Citizens' rumor that the Ebola vaccine has been bed nets in their County is a new way of spreading disguised as the routine vaccine. They say it will infect Ebola. They claim that the bed nets have been their children with the disease that could also spread to impregnated with the Ebola virus and are not all parts of their County. insecticides. They say that the same nets were used by Bong Ebola patients in Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs). Sinoe

It is being rumored that the routine vaccine will infect many more people with Ebola because it contains portions of the Ebola virus. The citizens of Gbarpolu County rumor that there is an on-going Ebola , & Lofa campaign that has been disguised as a malaria prevention campaign, targeting all women and children. Gbarpolu

Internews “Information Saves Lives” is a 6-month project implemented under the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (Hc3) funded by USAID. The project aims at building the capacity of Liberian journalists to report accurately about the Ebola disease and to connect local media with the national and international Ebola response. For more information contact Anahi Ayala Iacucci - Internews Liberia Project Director - [email protected] - 0770557985 / 0880950628 or Tapang Ivo Tanku - Health Communication Liaison Officer - [email protected] - 0770461348 http://www.usaid.gov/ https://www.internews.org/ http://www.healthcommcapacity.org/

Humanitaritan Newsletter Information Saves Lives Issue #7 - April 18 - 24 BEST PRACTICES http://on.fb.me/1NM9DKthttps://www.facebook.com/internewsliberia?fref=ts/internewsliberia

1. Traditional rulers in Lofa County began gathering in to educate, train and share their voices with citizens within their respective communities on how to differentiate between the Ebola and routine vaccines. They are also encouraging parents to take their children to centers where they could be given the routine vaccine for free.

2. In Flumpa, a district in Nimba County, the traditional ruler initiated the free distribution of chlorine and other Ebola preventive materials to all families in a bid to encourage continuous prevention measures. This initiative came against the backdrops of complacency in the fight against Ebola, as well as complaints from the locals that Ebola prevention kits were in short supply.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. According to what the Liberian citizens recommend, more emphasis could be laid on educating communities on new and easy ways of distinguishing between the routine and Ebola vaccines. Clearly communities are not informed that the Ebola Vaccine Trail is only taking place in one location in the country and they therefore think that all campaigns around “vaccinations” could be referring to the Ebola Vaccine Trial.

2. Internews recommends that communities be trained on what to do and what not to do in sites where the dead Ebola patients were buried. As the country nears 42 days of zero-Ebola case, citizens are now raising hopes that they would start visiting the burial sites and carrying out cultural practices. Uncontrolled practices could trigger another outbreak if corpses are manipulated.

3. Issues of accountability keep coming up from counties and swelling mistrust and fear among citizens who believe that the government is deliberately allowing the spread of Ebola in a bid to share the Ebola funds among top government officials. It is advised that detailed information on how the Ebola funds were spent and what the government intends to do with the remaining funds should be made known to the public. Direct community interactions (group gatherings, radio shows and community hall gatherings) targeting influential community members should be organized by the Liberian government within all counties.

4. Fears are rife that Ebola equipment and kits used in Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs) are being distributed to homes within the communities. For example, the recent campaign that was rolled out to fight malaria in women and children in Gbarpolu County created panic due to this rumor. Citizens believed that the bed nets distributed were those used in the ETUs. It is recommended that responders tell the communities when, how, when and why the ETUs will be closed. They could do this through community-based discussions so to also gather the ideas and opinions of the community members about the ETUs. It is also important to notice that when Liberia people refer to the ETUs in the context of rumors or feedback described before, this term is used to indicate both ETUs and CCCs, as at the community kevel very few people know the distinction.

Internews “Information Saves Lives” is a 6-month project implemented under the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (Hc3) funded by USAID. The project aims at building the capacity of Liberian journalists to report accurately about the Ebola disease and to connect local media with the national and international Ebola response. For more information contact Anahi Ayala Iacucci - Internews Liberia Project Director - [email protected] - 0770557985 / 0880950628 or Tapang Ivo Tanku - Health Communication Liaison Officer - [email protected] - 0770461348 http://www.usaid.gov/ https://www.internews.org/ http://www.healthcommcapacity.org/

Humanitaritan Newsletter Information Saves Lives Issue #7 - April 18 - 24 Journalists reporting rumors from 15 Counties http://on.fb.me/1NM9DKthttps://www.facebook.com/internewsliberia?fref=ts/internewsliberia Franklin M. Flomo, Youth Talk (Zorzor, Lofa County) Emmanuel Mulbah, Bong Mines Community Station (Bong Mine, [email protected]; 0777.594.766 ) [email protected]; 0886.594.913, 0777.670.476 Lofa Bong Ibrahim M. Sesay, Radio Cape Mount (Sinje) [email protected]; 0886.445.585 Mac Samah, Voice of Flumpa(Nimba County), Cape Mount [email protected]; [email protected]; 0777.286.315 Foday Sesay, Radio Bomi (Tubmanburg,BomiCounty), [email protected]; 0777.008.527 Nimba Bomi Moses Geply, Smile FM (, ) Alfred Sirleaf, Daily Talk (Montserrado) [email protected]; 0880.748.253 [email protected]; 0770.534.892, 0886.473.067 Grand Gedeh Moses Kollie Garzeawu Liberia Broadcasting System (Montserrado) [email protected]; [email protected];0888.609.081 Karway Suah, Voice of Grand Kru, Barclayville; 0776025769

Montserrado Grand Kru Ben B. Togbah, Jr., Radio Joy Africa (, Margibi County) Justice GaddehGee Radio, (Fishtown, ) [email protected]; 0888.711.919 [email protected]; 0776.633.23, 0886.633.239 Margibi River Gee Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, LACSA Radio (Grand Bassa)Front Page Africa – Max Klah, Voice of Sinoe (Greenville, ) County Correspondent, [email protected]; 0886.432.042 Botoe McCay, Voice of [email protected]; 0886.816.314 Grand Bassa Gbarpolu (Gbarpolu County) [email protected]; Sinoe 0888-019-242 Eric Opa Doue, Echo Radio (Jarpah Town, River Cess) Michael Wroh, Voice of Pleebo (MarylandCounty) [email protected]; [email protected]; 0770038122, Gbarpolu [email protected]; 0880.795.504 0776483357, 0770461344 River Cess Maryland

Internews “Information Saves Lives” is a 6-month project implemented under the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (Hc3) funded by USAID. The project aims at building the capacity of Liberian journalists to report accurately about the Ebola disease and to connect local media with the national and international Ebola response. For more information contact Anahi Ayala Iacucci - Internews Liberia Project Director - [email protected] - 0770557985 / 0880950628 or Tapang Ivo Tanku - Health Communication Liaison Officer - [email protected] - 0770461348 http://www.usaid.gov/ https://www.internews.org/ http://www.healthcommcapacity.org/

Humanitaritan Newsletter Information Saves Lives Issue #7 - April 18 - 24 http://on.fb.me/1BheC2Ihttp://on.fb.me/1NM9DKt/internewsliberia THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN THE GEOPOLL SURVEY Information Needs Analysis

What are the current updates on Ebola? Is Ebola a real disease? What measures could be put in place to end Ebola? What is the origin of Ebola? What are the non-Ebola related concerns? What are the symptoms of Ebola? Can Liberia be Ebola free? What number of people have died of Ebola?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FROM COUNTIES

Montserrado County Margibi County - What is the origin of Ebola in Liberia? - When will Liberia defeat Ebola? - When will Liberia be Ebola-free? - Is Ebola still in Liberia? Lofa County - What triggered an Ebola outbreak in Liberia? - When will Liberia be declared Ebola-free? - What is Ebola? - When will Liberia be Ebola-free? Grand Gedeeh County - In what year was Ebola discovered? Bong County - Will Liberia be Ebola-free? - How did Ebola get into Liberia? - In what year and month did Liberia record its first Ebola case? - When will Liberia be declared Ebola-free? Sinoe County - When will Liberia be Ebola-free? Nimba County - When will Ebola be defeated in Liberia? - Is Liberia still Ebola-stricken? Gbarpolu County - How did Ebola get into Liberia, and is there Grand Bassa County any cure for the disease? - When will Liberia be declared Ebola-free?

Internews “Information Saves Lives” is a 6-month project implemented under the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (Hc3) funded by USAID. The project aims at building the capacity of Liberian journalists to report accurately about the Ebola disease and to connect local media with the national and international Ebola response. For more information contact Anahi Ayala Iacucci - Internews Liberia Project Director - [email protected] - 0770557985 / 0880950628 or Tapang Ivo Tanku - Health Communication Liaison Officer - [email protected] - 0770461348

http://www.usaid.gov/ https://www.internews.org/ http://www.healthcommcapacity.org/

Humanitaritan Newsletter Information Saves Lives Issue #7 - April 18 - 24 http://on.fb.me/1BheC2Ihttp://on.fb.me/1NM9DKt/internewsliberia Weekly Online content report: 18 - 24 April 2015

This report analyzes data from several online sources including Twitter and Liberian accounts.

Twitter

Demographics of Twitter accounts from Liberia mentioning the word “Ebola” in the week from 18 – 24 April 2015

Most tweeted Ebola topics

Internews “Information Saves Lives” is a 6-month project implemented under the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (Hc3) funded by USAID. The project aims at building the capacity of Liberian journalists to report accurately about the Ebola disease and to connect local media with the national and international Ebola response. For more information contact Anahi Ayala Iacucci - Internews Liberia Project Director - [email protected] - 0770557985 / 0880950628 or Tapang Ivo Tanku - Health Communication Liaison Officer - [email protected] - 0770461348 http://www.usaid.gov/ https://www.internews.org/ http://www.healthcommcapacity.org/

Humanitaritan Newsletter Information Saves Lives Issue #7 - April 18 - 24 http://on.fb.me/1BheC2Ihttp://on.fb.me/1NM9DKt/internewsliberia Most influential Liberian Twitter accounts streaming on Ebola

The influence of the accounts is measured by the number of its individual followers and the number of times their online contents have been re-tweeted or clicked.

Internews “Information Saves Lives” is a 6-month project implemented under the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (Hc3) funded by USAID. The project aims at building the capacity of Liberian journalists to report accurately about the Ebola disease and to connect local media with the national and international Ebola response. For more information contact Anahi Ayala Iacucci - Internews Liberia Project Director - [email protected] - 0770557985 / 0880950628 or Tapang Ivo Tanku - Health Communication Liaison Officer - [email protected] - 0770461348 http://www.usaid.gov/ https://www.internews.org/ http://www.healthcommcapacity.org/

Humanitaritan Newsletter Information Saves Lives Issue #7 - April 18 - 24

http://on.fb.me/1BheC2Ihttp://on.fb.me/1NM9DKt/internewsliberia Online media

Below is a list of influential contents published by Liberian online news outlets. The contents’ influence is measured by the number of readers.

Key words:

Internews “Information Saves Lives” is a 6-month project implemented under the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (Hc3) funded by USAID. The project aims at building the capacity of Liberian journalists to report accurately about the Ebola disease and to connect local media with the national and international Ebola response. For more information contact Anahi Ayala Iacucci - Internews Liberia Project Director - [email protected] - 0770557985 / 0880950628 or Tapang Ivo Tanku - Health Communication Liaison Officer - [email protected] - 0770461348