Paper short abstract:

The official responses by the Sierra Leonean government against Ebola Virus Diseases (EVD) could not reach to local people without assistance of local notables. They worked for conjoining the governmental health officers and local people by using their trusting relations with local people.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examine how informal network in Sierra Leone helped the official effort to fight against Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) to be accepted by local people in urban settings. The bureaucratic system of the Sierra Leone is far from coherent and efficient. Some scholars argue that the politics of Sierra Leone is operated through informal human networks (Christensen 2013; Utas [ed.] 2012). Such government faced with the Ebola crisis during 2014 and 2015. During the crisis, the government established a response system coordinating relevant ministries being assisted by international organizations and NGOs. International organizations and NGOs constructed treatment centers. Medical doctors were dispatched from overseas, and the government of Sierra Leone coordinate various agencies. This "formal response" was essential part of combating EVD. However, the formal system was not accepted by local people. People did not believe even the existence of EVD in the initial stage, which hinders the government officials to intervene to local communities. Rumors spread that Ebola was an excuse for medical teams to harvest organs. Angry crowed surrounded a hospital demanding the release of all patients in the end of July, 2014. However, such disruption winded down gradually. The reasons is because local notables were mobilized to mediate between the formal responses and local acceptances. Those who were respected in communities such as traditional leaders or members of community-based organizations owed roles to conjoin "formal" intervention with "informal" measures which local communities voluntarily took.