Since March 2014 several states in West Africa have been fighting against Ebola. In the last nine months, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) has supported the international aid operations with more than 70 volunteers from the technical-logistical sector. Yesterday, Sunday, the remaining two experts returned from Sierra Leone via Ghana to Germany – time to take stock.
On 17 September 2014, the Federal Government instructed THW to provide technical-logistical aid in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Benin against the Ebola epidemic. “THW has been able to effectively support the fight against Ebola in West Africa, in Rome and in Berlin. With the successful return of the remaining volunteers from West Africa, an extremely difficult operation has been completed. I am satisfied and relieved about this fact. I would like to thank all those who have supported us so well in achieving this aim”, summarised THW President, Mr Albrecht Broemme.
Besides the aid provided to the affected countries, the epidemic required, above all, huge efforts “behind the scenes”. This applies particularly to the comprehensive pre-planning and after-care in the framework of the assignment, which have been unique in the history of THW. This time, it was not only the experts from THW who instructed the volunteers for their work in West Africa but different external specialist authorities and organisations, such as the Berlin Robert-Koch-Institut (RKI), also discussed with THW staff in the run-up to the operation the risks and precautionary measures. In all-day introductory events, they informed about 210 volunteers, who were potentially eligible for the operations, and about 40 of their relatives about health and safety related aspects, including the contents of the emergency kit and the risk of infection from Ebola.
The pharmaceutical travel kit and the provision of personal protective equipment represented a challenge in itself: Which medication did the volunteers require on site? What deserves special attention if it were necessary to put on protective clothing and mask in an extreme emergency? How do the THW volunteers get properly disinfected? All these questions had to be answered. Therefore, it is not surprising that the complete coordination required a large number of employees both from THW's management and the local sections. Mr Christoph Altheim, who has been deployed as THW team leader in the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) in Sierra Leone since the beginning of May, also underlines that the preparation was extraordinary: “The THW management has achieved something special during the preparation of this mission. The challenges were not only to thoroughly train the volunteers before their deployment but also to train a sufficient number of volunteers to be able to muster the necessary service life. During the entire assignment, the THW management in Bonn was available around the clock and tirelessly supported the volunteers on site.”
In the follow-up phase, THW again took extensive precautions to facilitate the return of the deployed volunteers. Both on leaving the country and on their return, the Medical Service first medically checked the physical condition of the THW volunteers, before the Rapid Deployment Unit for Logistics Processing in Air Transportation (SEELift) took care of the further organisation at Frankfurt Airport. Additionally, Operational After-Care Teams (ENT) were available for the returnees to provide psychological support. The Team for After-Care and the Assistance of Victims and their Relatives (NOAH) of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) was available around the clock to support THW volunteers, their relatives and employers.
“In my opinion, THW has developed exemplary guidelines”, Dr. med. Uwe Kaiser from RKI in Berlin, who functioned as a medical expert during the introductory events, explicitly praised THW for the support of the returned volunteers. “The reception in Frankfurt and the medical check of the returnees as well as the recommendation to continue the logbook and to regularly measure the temperature – all these measures show that THW has prepared and executed the entire operation with its many challenges in a highly professional manner”, continued Mr Kaiser. For THW the complete deployment was the first project in the health sector. The main focus was on the countries Ghana and Sierra Leone but THW also provided aid in Benin and Guinea. Further information about the individual measures in the affected countries is available here.
The Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is the honorary operational organisation of the Federal Government. The commitment of about 80,000 volunteers across Germany, half of which operational staff, is the basis for the work of THW in civil protection. With its expert knowledge and manifold experiences, THW is a much sought-after supporter of the fire brigade, police, relief organisations and others. Furthermore, THW is deployed world-wide on behalf of the Federal Government. The tasks involve, among others, technical and logistical support in the framework of the European Mechanism as well as on behalf of UN organisations.