Over 8 million people have been contacted in the fight to tackle the devastating Ebola crisis in West Africa with half a million receiving practical support and another 7.5 million people receiving vital public health information on how to keep themselves safe and stop the spread of the disease.

More than 35,000 volunteers are using street theatre, house to house information and religious services to get the message across with radio broadcasts helping to share life-saving information on how to avoid catching the disease, how to identify if a loved one might be infected and encouraging those infected to seek early treatment.

Public health education is beginning to have an impact on the population of Sierra Leone and Liberia where literacy rates are extremely low. Volunteers and government agencies are playing a major role in challenging the myths surrounding Ebola and the lack of understanding around the disease.