Marie Claire Tchecola

Marie Claire Tchecola is a nurse and Ebola survivor from Guinea. She is an activist who educates about disease and fights stigma against those who suffer from disease. In 2015 she was awarded the International Women of Courage Award by the US State Department.

Biography Tchecola grew up in a small Guinean village near the Senegalese border. She was the first woman in her family to obtain an education. She earned her nursing credentials and was working as a nurse at Donka Hospital in Conakry, Guinea. A shortage of healthcare workers and basic protective equipment created a situation in West Africa where the disease was spreading rapidly. Recognizing the symptoms, she checked herself into a treatment center to prevent the spread of the disease. The situation with children is especially troubling. More than 4,000 children are registered as orphans in Guinea. Because survivors appear to have an immunity to the disease, they are being recruited by UNICEF to help with children. Survivors are able to touch and provide comfort to the traumatized children in a way that personnel in protective gear cannot.

Tchecola is committed to raising awareness, educating about Ebola prevention, and fighting discrimination against survivors. She is a member of the Ebola Survivors Association of Guinea, which provides a support network for those who survived the disease.