The scale of the current outbreak of Ebola, a deadly hemorrhagic fever for which there is no known cure, demonstrates yet again the fragility of health systems in low-income countries.

All CMMB offices throughout the world work to strengthen local healthcare systems so they are better prepared to deal with emergencies resulting from disease or natural or man-made disasters. Our CHAMPS approach educates communities about the importance of nutrition, sanitation, and appropriate medical intervention, all of which are essential to halting the spread of diseases such as Ebola.

We are aware that many in the CMMB community are concerned about the health and safety of our staff and volunteers in Africa due to the current outbreak. We wish to reassure our partners, supporters, and friends that we take the safety of our staff very seriously, and are closely monitoring the situation.

In addition to being in constant contact with our African offices, we implement an emergency action plan that follows the United Nations minimum operating security standards, and will evacuate our staff if and when the UN deems a place too unsafe to work.