Majority of Sierra Leone Ebola Survivors Lose Eye Sight, Struggle with Joint Pain

Abena Agyeman-Fisher November 06, 2015
Ebola survivor losing her eyesight.

Ebola Survivor

Ebola survivor losing her eyesight.

More than a year after the Ebola outbreak struck in Sierra Leone, the majority of Ebola survivors are now faced with health and mental challenges that threaten their livelihoods.

SEE ALSO: Ebola Guinea Study Finds Group of Women Who Are Immune to Disease

While Ebola survivors in Sierra Leone are indeed relieved to have survived the worst Ebola epidemic in history, where of the more than 14,000 who were infected, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, nearly 4,000 succumbed to the disease in the West African nation, a number of challenges are cropping up, proving that the fight isn’t over.

According to Doctors Without Borders, 80 percent of survivors in Sierra Leone are struggling to manage joint pain and fatigue.

An even more worrisome post-Ebola complication, though, is the loss of eyesight: Ebola can remain in the eyeball liquid of survivors after recovery, making eyes both painful and blind.

Then there is the psychological hurdle: With so many survivors living their daily lives without loved ones, being a survivor is bittersweet.

In the below video, one woman describes life without her three brothers while another shares her experience of trying to reclaim her eyesight:

SEE ALSO: Glover & Akintola To Star in ’93 Days,’ Nollywood Film on Nigeria Conquering Ebola

Last Edited by:Abena Agyeman-Fisher Updated: June 19, 2018

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