Ebola two years on: how deadly virus stopped millions from going to school

Students at Mangalla school in Gueckedou, Guinea, in March 2015 after classes reopened following the Ebola outbreak Picture: UNICEF/de Mun

听

Millions of children out of school for months. Thousands of children who died or lost one or both parents.

This wasn国产视频檛 a war or a natural disaster. This was Ebola, the deadly virus that swept through West Africa 国产视频� particularly Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

The outbreak was officially recognised by the World Health Organization on this day in 2014. It was declared over in January this year 国产视频� but new Ebola cases have emerged in all three neighbouring countries, including five deaths in the past week in Guinea.

Two years after the health crisis that caused global concern, we look at the statistics and the timeline as Ebola devastated education in West Africa.

Even before it struck, all three were economically troubled countries still emerging from conflict and civil war. Guinea and Liberia had been increasing their school attendance numbers 国产视频� Guinea had 58% of children completing primary school by 2012.

On the second anniversary, we look at how the Ebola outbreak affected the lives and education of millions of children. You can also read a report by one of A World at School国产视频檚 Global Youth Ambassadors in Liberia.

THE STATISTICS

听

Students pray during a class at Monrovia Demonstration School in the Liberian capital in 2015 Picture: UNICEF/Grile

FIVE MILLION

The number of children estimated to be out of school in the three countries at the peak of the outbreak.

ONE MILLION

Students listened to distance learning programmes听through community radio when their schools were closed.

191,000

Children received psychosocial support to help them deal with the trauma they experienced.

70,000

Liberian children do not officially exist because their births were not registered during the outbreak.

An abandoned classroom in Kenema, Sierra Leone, in 2014

36,000听

Teachers have been trained in Ebola prevention measures.

22,000听

Children lost at least one of their parents to Ebola.

3500

Children died of Ebola 国产视频� more than a quarter of the total victims.

听

THE TIMELINE

听

MARCH 2014

A health worker in protective clothing closes the gate at an Ebola treatment centre in Liberia Picture: UNICEF/Nesbitt

On March 25, the World Health Organization reports an outbreak of the Ebola virus in Guinea, with suspected cases in neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone.

By the summer of 2014, all schools in the three countries have been closed down.

DECEMBER 2014

To help five million children get back into school,听the Global Business Coalition for Education and A World at School produces a report that recommends a three-fold response.

Unless schools reopen soon, millions of children are at risk of dropping out of school permanently, of becoming pregnant or ending up in child labour.

JANUARY 2015

Schools begin to reopen in Guinea.听In the capital Conakry, those students who turn up have their temperatures checked at the entrance to their schools. Very soon, more than 1.3 million children 国产视频� about 85% of pre-Ebola attendance 国产视频� are back in their classrooms and nearly all of the 12,000 schools are open.

The school closures are leaving girls at increased risk of pregnancy, prostitution and sexual violence, according to a report by Plan International.

FEBRUARY 2015

A student has her temperature checked in Monrovia, Liberia

Students return to their classrooms as schools reopen in Liberia six months after being shut down. More than 7000 safety kits are provided to about 4000 schools, including buckets, soap, gloves and chlorine.听

MARCH 2015

Schools in Sierra Leone are set to restart 国产视频� but there is widespread anger as the government bans pregnant girls from returning in case 国产视频渋t will encourage other girls to do the same thing国产视频�.

APRIL 2015

Students return to St Joseph国产视频檚 Secondary in Sierra Leone国产视频檚 Freetown听Picture: UNICEF/Irwin

After nine months sitting at home, children return to classes in Sierra Leone.听About 1.8 million children have been missing out on their schooling and the biggest fear is that many of them will not return. The numbers of children returning on the first day is reported as low.

AUGUST 2015

Controversy in Liberia as the country国产视频檚 schools, which had reopened after six months, are closed down again. Parents had been told classes would stay open to make up for lost time 国产视频� but the government closes them again and says a new academic year will start in September.

MARCH 2016

The Sierra Leone government announces that the 5000 pregnant girls expelled from school have been allowed to return. But not before听many girls have missed exams to gain entrance to higher secondary school, university or college.

A report by A World at School showed that more than 80 million children have had their education disrupted by emergencies 国产视频� including conflicts, natural disasters and health crises like Ebola 国产视频� in the past year.

In the midst of horror and despair, they need safe schools, a future and hope. Yet less than 2% of all humanitarian aid in 2015 went towards education.

That国产视频檚 why 国产视频 国产视频� the children国产视频檚 charity behind A World at School 国产视频� launched the #SafeSchools campaign to ensure leaders meeting at the World Humanitarian Summit in May commit to set up a new platform to fund education in emergencies.

Public pressure is needed to make sure they deliver 国产视频� and you can tell them to take action by signing the #SafeSchools petition. Just click on the button below.

听