Jennifer Lawrence joins 'Mockingjay' co-stars in Ebola awareness campaign

Published December 31, 2014
Clockwise from top: Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Mahershala Ali.
Clockwise from top: Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Mahershala Ali.

Actor Jennifer Lawrence appears in a public service announcement (PSA) about the Ebola virus with her The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 co-stars to raise awareness on the virus’ devastating impact in West Africa.

Mockingjay stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Jeffrey Wright, Julianne Moore, and Mahershala Ali to discuss hard facts about the outbreak.

Mahershala points out in the video that in some parts of West Africa, only two out of every 10 patients infected with Ebola have survived.

Without access to the same resources as Americans — such as I.V. fluids, electrolytes, food, fully-equipped modern hospitals, well-trained medical professionals — chances of survival are immensely reduced.

All eight Americans who had contracted Ebola and received treatment in US hospitals survived.

That makes the survival rate in America 100 per cent, as compared to the 20 per cent in West Africa.

Moore says: “Ebola is not a death sentence.”

“What would happen if you got Ebola?” Josh Hutcherson asks Jennifer Lawrence in the video.

After a brief pause, she responds: “I’d be fine.”

“You have a lot of doctors,” Hutcherson then points out in the clip.

The video also shows statistics pointing out that there were 19,648 confirmed Ebola cases worldwide from December 6, 2013, to December 22, 2014, with 19,643 of them in West Africa.

While there is no proven treatment available for Ebola, supportive care such as rehydration and treatment of specific symptoms improves survival, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The Ebola Survival Fund, which works in conjunction with the United Nations supporting community-based groups fighting the disease in Liberia and Sierra Leone, has utilised the power of Hollywood before. Whoopi Goldberg, Alicia Keys and Idris Elba, among other celebrities, teamed up with the organisation in October to produce a PSA with a similar message.

Opinion

Enter the deputy PM

Enter the deputy PM

Clearly, something has changed since for this step to have been taken and there are shifts in the balance of power within.

Editorial

All this talk
Updated 30 Apr, 2024

All this talk

The other parties are equally legitimate stakeholders in the country’s political future, and it must give them due consideration.
Monetary policy
30 Apr, 2024

Monetary policy

ALIGNING its decision with the trend in developed economies, the State Bank has acted wisely by holding its key...
Meaningless appointment
30 Apr, 2024

Meaningless appointment

THE PML-N’s policy of ‘family first’ has once again triggered criticism. The party’s latest move in this...
Weathering the storm
Updated 29 Apr, 2024

Weathering the storm

Let 2024 be the year when we all proactively ensure that our communities are safeguarded and that the future is secure against the inevitable next storm.
Afghan repatriation
29 Apr, 2024

Afghan repatriation

COMPARED to the roughshod manner in which the caretaker set-up dealt with the issue, the elected government seems a...
Trying harder
29 Apr, 2024

Trying harder

IT is a relief that Pakistan managed to salvage some pride. Pakistan had taken the lead, then fell behind before...