Ebola outbreak: mourners at the epicentre learn to grieve and bury the dead safely
A cemetery at the epicentre of an Ebola outbreak is rapidly filling up. Large traditional funerals have been scrapped, and families are learning to mourn and bury their dead safely to prevent the disease from spreading further.
In an area at the epicentre of an Ebola outbreak, cemeteries are filling rapidly, and families have had to abandon large traditional funerals to reduce the risk of the disease spreading.
One person who spoke to the BBC described burying both parents one day after the other. Health teams stress that safe burial practices are critical because the Ebola virus can spread easily through contact with a body during funeral rites.
Local communities are adapting their mourning traditions to the realities of the outbreak. Health officials say that training in safe burials and cooperation from communities are decisive in bringing the epidemic under control. Surveillance and vaccination efforts are continuing in an attempt to halt the spread and protect frontline workers and grieving families alike.
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