Environmental health worker, 34, tells of joining Ebola fight in Africa

Samuel Lauder worked alongside national and international staff to ensure hygiene measures were followed, an important tool in the battle to stop the spread of the disease.

Sam, 34, who lives in Newtown and works for Powys County Council, was an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) health delegate at the International Federation of the Red Cross' Ebola Treatment Centre in Kenema in Sierra Leone.

"Most days I would be involved in checking the high risk zones to make sure that the patient areas were clean and disinfected," he said.

"I would ensure that all waste produced at the centre was treated and disposed of hygienically, I monitored levels of chlorine in the water used for disinfection purposes, I supervised the management of dead bodies and I worked with the kitchen staff to maintain hygienic standards of food preparation."

When Sam arrived in Sierra Leone in January, the treatment centre was experiencing a relatively rapid fall in the number of patients being admitted.

While this was good news for everyone, it was up to Sam to remind staff not to let their guard down.

"I was apprehensive about my first shift in the Ebola Treatment Centre," he said. "I wasn't sure what I was about to see or how I would respond, and the weather was hot, and I knew that I would be wearing a full protective suit that would feel even hotter."

But despite the grim situation, Sam said there were many high points, particularly "happy showers" where recovering patients were washed before being given new clothes and leaving the centre.

He added: "

There are many people involved in the fight against Ebola and it has been a privilege to play just a very small part. I would encourage people to continue to support the work in West Africa."