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WOA gives anti-Ebola supplies to Sierra Leone NOC President

2 | 3 | 2015

As part of the #TargetEbola campaign, the World Olympians Association has donated medical and protective equipment to help prevent the transmission of Ebola in Sierra Leone to Dr Patrick Coker, President of the Sierra Leone National Olympic Committee (NOC) and a practicing doctor.

Dr Coker has refused to let the deadly virus prevent him from helping those in need by keeping his medical practice, the Percival Medical Clinic, open throughout the crisis despite the very real threat of contracting the disease and the fact that many clinics in the country have closed their doors.

The #TargetEbola campaign has donated supplies including masks, gloves, thermometers and mattresses to community hospitals around the country in recent weeks and the latest donation will go further to help prevent the spread of Ebola in one of the worst hit areas of West Africa.

Medical supplies and wheelchairs were also donated to the Sierra Leone Paralympic Committee for distribution amongst members and the general public.

Dr Francis Dove Edwin, two-time Olympian and member of the Sierra Leone Presidential Taskforce on Ebola, who has been on the ground in Sierra Leone helping to distribute aid on behalf of the WOA, said:

 “I’m delighted to be in the position to be able to help my compatriots and distribute this vital equipment to Dr Coker’s clinic on behalf of the WOA. By working in collaboration, the WOA and the Sierra Leone Olympic and Paralympic Committees can help to stop the spread of Ebola. Together we can make a difference to the many families who are still suffering from this terrible disease.”

Dr Patrick Coker, said:

 “We are very grateful for the support from the WOA and the medical and protective equipment that we have received will help us enormously in the fight against Ebola. We will continue to help our people in every way we can to ensure we save as many lives as possible”.

The #TargetEbola campaign was launched in October 2014 in collaboration with international aid organisation Oxfam and US humanitarian NGO Medisend International to deliver much needed supplies to West Africa. 

The WOA is appealing to the rest of its 100,000 strong Olympian community and the wider sporting family around the world to get involved and promote #TargetEbola, the donation link, www.targetebola.org/donate, and the SMS details, Text TARGET to 70066 [UK only].

International Federations can find out more about how they can make a difference by visiting the dedicated resources page on the #TargetEbola website. Go to targetebola.org/resources to discover what your organisation can do to get behind this important campaign.

A growing list of Olympians already support the #TargetEbola campaignincluding  Usain Bolt, Novak Djokovic, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Carl Lewis, Claudia Bokel, Hicham el Guerrouj, Koji Murofushi and Pernilla Wiberg.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Peace and Sport, SportAccord, World Rugby, the International Golf Federation (IGF), International Federation of SAMBO (FIAS), Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UPIM) and iSportConnect have also backed the campaign.