Translation Services and the Fight Against Ebola Epidemic in West Africa

Ebola has become a global problem! Could this be the end of the world? Perhaps no! The Epidemic which started in West Africa early this year has indeed taken a destructive dimension by affecting multiple countries in the world. The diseases has claimed many lives across the world including some from developed countries meaning it does not mind about even the economy of a country! 

Thanks to Translators without Borders (TWB) who have assisted the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to provide critical preventative information on the Ebola virus in local West African languages such as Fulani, Krio and Mandika as well as French. The reports say The local language fact sheets are being used by the CDC to fight against the deadly outbreak affecting communities in Sierra Leon, Liberia and Guinea. The roles of translation services sound more critical in our lives most especially when it comes to our health. 

The need to communicate in the right language is what we should advocate”, explains Rebecca Petras, the Program Director for Translators without Borders. “In a crisis, communications IS aid. We like to add that the communications needs to be in the right language. Yet aid workers have too much to do during a crisis – they do not have time or the expertise to focus on translation. (Source; TWB)

Translation services need to be embraced by all sectors of any economy for they help in the process of effective communication. Bearing in mind that culture plays an important part in communication, it is therefore necessary to understand the cultural background of people while trying to convey any message to them. That is why it becomes relevant to translate information into native languages of the target population using a native linguist for better understanding of the full meaning of the message being conveyed/ disseminated. This therefore calls for professional translation services with translators who are qualified, experienced and native language speakers who are capable of keeping the original information in the transformed text.