As the Ebola outbreak spread throughout West Africa, already weak infrastructures were disrupted, exacerbating food shortages in the region. In an effort to help with the global relief efforts, University of Louisville public health and medical students joined together to raise money for humanitarian aid. The effort, led by Master of Public Health student Allison Siu and other public health faculty, staff and students, resulted in $1,000 used to feed a small village in Sierra Leone.
In addition, Siu collaborated with medical students to organize an educational workshop about the outbreak, the disease process and the role of health professionals in Louisville.
“This experience will serve as a landmark for the start of my practice in public health. As such, the epidemic is not yet over, Ebola has not been eradicated, and the need is still present. My hope is that public health will continue to play a role in educating individuals and eliminating the spread of Ebola. There is no way for countries to solve these issues on their own, so the global investment is crucial,” Siu said.