Ebola Survivor Comic Book to Be Distributed to Liberian Schools

The Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) is supporting the printing and distribution in Liberian schools of a comic book featuring a fictional soccer star that survived Ebola.

Plans call for distributing 3,500 copies in schools along with a teacher guide, as well as selling it commercially. Developed by a team of graphic artists and storytellers in Liberia, the Ebola edition of “Tabella Tee – International Soccer Star” chronicles the latest turn in Tee’s inspiring life.

The comic book details how Ebola is transmitted by having Tee consider how he was infected in the first place. It then lists signs and symptoms of Ebola as Tee describes his own illness and his hesitancy to seek help. He eventually uses the national hotline number in Liberia to get the help he needs.

As a survivor, Tee experiences some stigma when he returns to his community, but he is welcomed after his family learns he is no longer infectious. The engaging visuals and story were designed to educate as well as entertain readers.

The next issue of the comic book will focus on the spread of Ebola throughout Tee’s community.