Ebola is what might be called a “movie disease”, a virus so contagious and deadly that it seems only to exist in Hollywood medical disaster films. But the very real horror of the virus has been brought home over the past few weeks. According to the WHO, which has declared the outbreak a global public health emergency and called for international intervention, Ebola has infected more than 1,700 people and claimed over 900 lives, mostly in the west African nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
These are some of the poorest countries in the world. The burden of managing a highly infectious disease that can often present itself as a simple flu has put great stress on their already creaky public healthcare systems, and they are struggling to cope. The fact that there is no vaccine or cure for Ebola only complicates their efforts. Liberia has announced a “state of emergency” to bring the outbreak under control, while Sierra Leone has deployed troops to maintain quarantines and enforce a temporary ban on public gatherings. Two confirmed deaths from Ebola in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, have raised fears of global contagion.
International assistance is required to bring the outbreak in west Africa under control. Ebola is transmitted through bodily fluids, including sweat, and so health workers must have proper equipment, such as gloves and protective suits. Socio-political factors have also contributed to the spread of the disease: some burial practices could cause infection, and health workers, especially foreigners, are often regarded with hostility, hindering their ability to provide care. Information campaigns could help reduce resistance. The only long-term solution, though, is to help upgrade basic health infrastructure in these countries. This outbreak reminds us why it is so important to support such efforts not just at home but also far away. In an interconnected world, no disease is local.
