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Ebola is a highly contagious virus and the case-fatality rate varies from 25 to 90 percent, depending on the strain. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for this disease but supportive therapy can be provided. In its six centres, MSF teams provide medical care which consists of hydrating the patients, maintaining their oxygen status and blood pressure, providing high quality nutrition and treating them with antibiotics for any complicating infections. Supportive treatment can help the patient survive longer, and the extra time may just be what the patient’s own immune system needs to start fighting the virus. Since March, MSF has admitted more than 6,400 people, of whom approximately 4,000 tested positive for Ebola and 1,700 have recovered.
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After the terrible floods in Jammu and Kashmir, MSF organised the distribution of non-food item kits and has set up information desks to promote a better understanding of the effects of the disaster on mental helath. Counselling sessions were organised at University of Kashmir and Skims Soura which enabled MSF to reach out to people affected by the floods. MSF has been constantly present in the area since 2001. When the news of the floods broke, MSF’s team in Delhi tried to get in touch with the team on ground but communication remained a challenge. In the aftermath of the floods, MSF visited most camps and decided to support the ones that had not yet received aid from other sources.
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