Ivory Coast's "Lather³ Against Ebola" campaign, catchy⁴ songs and comedy are being used by West Africans to educate people on how to avoid getting the deadly disease, which has infected more than 2,600 people and killed more than 1,400 in four countries across the region, according to the World Health Organization.

 

From Nigeria to Sierra Leone, songs and sketches⁵ have supplemented traditional media and government campaigns to educate the public about Ebola, which is spread through contact with the bodily fluids of infected people and can be partly contained by simple measures like regular hand-washing.

 

The "Lather Against Ebola" campaign was inspired by the ice bucket challenge that has generated tens of millions of dollars for the ALS Association, which raises money for Lou Gehrig's disease research.

 

Ivorian blogger Edith Brou knew the ice bucket campaign was getting lots of attention and wanted to make it more relevant in her home country. Despite bordering Guinea and Liberia, two countries that have been hit hard by the Ebola outbreak, Ivory Coast has yet to record a single case, and Brou wants to keep it that way.

 

"Our greatest threat right now is Ebola," she said.

 

Those who accept the "Lather Against Ebola" challenge -- searchable on Twitter using its French name, #MousserContreEbola -- are expected douse⁶（浸泡） themselves with soapy water and hand out three bottles of hand sanitizer（洗手液）. Those who reject the soaking are expected to distribute nine. Since it launched on Aug. 18, dozens of participants have posted soap-soaking clips to social media.

 

"Ivorians take the drama out of everything through humor," said Brou. "But in spite of the funny aspect of it, the message is forwarded on and listened to."

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