Liberia sanctions selfies in fight against Ebola

    The office of Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has released a statement urging citizens to post selfies moments before they die from Ebola in a last bid to showcase a human side to the crisis.

    The presidency says the move won’t save lives but would help teams locate bodies as the death toll continues to escalate.

    “Black people suffer from vanity too and we think it’s time to be honest about it,” the statement said.

    Some 3,500 people have fallen victim to Ebola in west Africa since April and global health experts warn that the crisis is likely to further escalate.

    Still, the Liberian government is upbeat.

    “It’s not all doom and gloom,” the statement said. “For instance, if you have the right skin colour and passport, you can be saved – people are just not looking at the positives.”

    The Liberian health ministry has subsequently released a statement on Facebook with a set of selfie guidelines, asking victims to ” include name, age, and aspirations”.

    The health ministry further warned that “photos without a geo-location will be of little use”.

    The US army has deployed a further 1,000 troops to help deliver selfie sticks across the country.

    Representatives for Doctors Without Borders were unavailable to comment.

    Abu O’Well is almost an award-winning satirist with the Daily Vox. Read more of his writing here.

    – Featured image via Wikimedia Commons.