How this British woman is risking her life to save millions of Africans from Ebola

On Wednesday, Ruth Atkins took the biggest risk in
her life yet ─ allowing herself to be used as a “guinea
pig” to trial a vaccine for the Ebola Virus Disease
(EVD) by the Oxford University, UK.
Atkins is the first of 60 healthy volunteers for the
safety trial, which could save the lives of millions of
Africans at the risk of contracting the disease.
According to the World Health Organization, Ebola
has infected some 5,357 people in West Africa this
year, killing 2,630 of them mainly in Sierra Leone,
Guinea and Liberia.
Nigeria was affected when an infected Liberian
travelled to the country but the outbreak has now been
contained after killing seven persons.

Atkins, speaking to the BBC in an interview monitored
by igwenga , said when she heard of the outbreak of
the disease, she was saddened and wished she could do
something about it.
“I volunteered because the situation in West Africa is
so tragic and I thought being part of this vaccination
process was something small I could do to hopefully
make a huge impact,” said Atkins, who previously
worked as a nurse in the UK National Health Service
(NHS).
On the morning of September 17, She was injected
with the trial Ebola vaccine in her upper arm after a
clinical assessment and a blood sample was taken.
“What can I do? I can’t go [to West Africa] and work.
When I heard about the vaccine, I thought I can help.
My little way of helping is to participate in the vaccine
trial,” said the communications and engagement
manager at the NHS.
She was initially apprehensive about the trial because
of fears expressed by people that she might get
infected with the virus and become ill.

“The whole staff of the institute have been brilliant in
explaining everything to me when I came in for
screening ─ brilliant in showing me what’s going to
happen and what could be the side effects,” she said.
Atkins is hoping fervently that the vaccine would work
and save lives.
“I want to make a difference in people’s lives,” she
said.
She has been given a diary to complete for the first
eight days ─ recording her temperature and everything
she feels in her body.
“I have to come back for further blood tests till the
end of March 2015,” she said.
Hopefully, it would work. And the deadly virus will be
put in its place.