Getting to Zero A Doctor and a Diplomat on the Ebola Frontline Sinead Walsh and Oliver Johnson
The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR — zedbooks.net +44 (0)20 3752 5830
‘A brave, bold, yet humble account from the frontlines of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. This is vital reading to help us all do better next time’ – David Miliband
In 2014, a 28-year old British doctor found himself running the Ebola isolation unit in Sierra Leone’s largest hospital, after the doctor in charge had been killed by the virus. Wrapped in stifling protective suits, he and his colleagues took turns to provide basic care to patients whilst removing dead bodies from the ward, battling to keep the hospital open as the queue of sick and dying patients grew every day.
Only a few miles down the road the Irish Ambassador and head of Irish Aid worked rapidly to scale up the international response. At a time when entire districts had been quarantined, she travelled around the country to meet with UN agencies, the President and senior ministers so as to be better placed in alerting the wider world to the catastrophe unfolding in front of her.
In this blow-by-blow account Walsh and Johnson expose the often shocking shortcomings of the humanitarian response to the outbreak. Theirs is the definitive account of the fight against an epidemic that shook the world.
The book is now published and is available in Books Upstairs on Westmoreland Street D.2 Cost Eu15.00
PB: £12.99 / $19.95 ISBN: 9781786992482
Also available in ebook Order at www.zedbooks.net
Tweet from Umaru:
Enjoyed every bit of our time in Ireland – from Dublin to Kilkenny and all the towns in-between. It’s good to be back home. @Umaru Fofana
A thousand thanks to all of you who came to the Sierra Leone@57 event
on Friday night.
It has been an intense week of putting Sierra Leone out there in
the public space in Ireland. Umaru and Edita are such fine fine
ambassadors for all that is best and most fearlessly patriotic. It was
a privilege to have their company for several days.
We look forward to seeing all of you, soon again, at the launch of
‘Getting to Zero – a doctor and a diplomat on the Ebola Frontline’. It
is co-authored Sinéad Walsh, Ireland’s first Ambassador to Sierra
Leone.
We are very grateful for the encouragement and the €1000 which Irish
Aid gave towards Umaru’s visit and for the €800 which you contributed,
at the event at Wynn’s hotel. These together cover most of the costs
for the event. Please help with balance if you can. Visit the website
www.slip.ie, click ‘Learn More’, and click ‘donate’ or ‘membership
subscription’. Martin Rowan (secretary)
Umaru Fofana on the Late debate radio programme on RTE Radio 1 on Thursday 10th May 2018
