Destigmatizing ambulances CDC infographic

Destigmatizing ambulances CDC infographic

During the Ebola outbreak, often the last time people saw a sick loved one was as they were placed in the back of the ambulance to be taken to the hospital. Due to how sick Ebola patients became, often this person would die either en route to the hospital or at the hospital where family was unable to see them. Due to these factors, ambulances, the ambulance teams in their PPE, and the strong smell of chlorine used to disinfect the ambulances between trips were associated with causing death rather than the disease. This CDC infographic explains these measures succinctly while dispelling myths about the use of an ambulance in caring for Ebola patients. It was used to inform community members of the purpose of the ambulance in order to reduce stigma attached to ambulances and healthcare workers during the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DHCPP), Viral Special Pathogens Branch (VSPB)

May 2015