Written By: Shraddha Rupavate | Published : December 10, 2014 9:42 PM IST
Ebola doctors and nurses who served and are still serving the worst Ebola epidemic in West Africa were today declared the TIME s choice for 2014 Person of the Year.
Since the year 1927, the TIME poll chooses a person who has greatly influenced the news and people s mind in the past year. Although the icon was to be chosen by the editor, readers from over 225 countries voted in the online poll for the leader they believed have influenced their minds.
Among iconic leaders including Indian PM Narendra Modi, Apple CEO Tim Cook, pop star Taylor Swift and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ebola caregivers were voted in huge numbers and also got picked in the editor s eight finalists, later making it to top five in the poll list. Runner-ups include Ferguson Protesters, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Massoud Barzani and capitalist Jack Ma.
Ebola is a global war, and an international emergency. Ebola caregivers in this poll represented those hundreds of health workers made a tough choice of leaving behind their loved ones and serve the epidemic stricken population in West African countries, despite being aware of the deadly consequences. The ones who succumbed to the disease while serving others and the ones still fighting the disease with full determination still continue to influence the minds and lives of people worldwide. For tireless acts of courage and mercy, for buying the world time to boost its defenses, for risking, for persisting, for sacrificing and saving, the Ebola fighters are TIME s 2014 Person of the Year, said TIME editor Nancy Gibbs.
Image source: Getty images
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