The dean of Monrovia’s Anglican cathedral entered voluntary quarantine and then preached about it, according to NPR. The Very Rev. Herman Browne had been preaching about ebola protection in his Sunday sermons from the beginning of the epidemic, but the message hit close to home when his wife’s friend fell sick and his whole family was put at risk.
One of the reasons Ebola continues to spread in Liberia is that people who know they’ve been exposed to the virus often keep it a secret until they’re desperately ill and highly contagious. They fear the embarrassment, the stigma and the prospect of losing their income.
But the Brownes went public.
The Liberian government has been explaining how to stay safe from this disease, but because many see the government as corrupt, the message doesn’t get far. When the message comes from a spiritual leader, it tends to stick.
Read and listen to the story at NPR.org