When the ebola virus disease erupted in Guinea in December 2013 and quickly spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone, Gambians considered the outbreak as a distant cry until six months later when it struck neighbouring Senegal and Mali.

As the second smallest country in West Africa, Gambians feared that if ebola ever struck their soil, it would have devastating consequences on the small population of 1.8 million people.To help allay that fear, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in support of The Gambia Red Cross Society, and with funding from the European Union, launched a beneficiary communication and social mobilization project in ten countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including The Gambia. The project aims to build awareness, preparedness and prevention for the ebola virus disease and other prevalent epidemic threats and disasters through community radio and social mobilization.

http://reliefweb.int/report/gambia/maintaining-zero-ebola-infections-through-communication-affected-communities