Major Issues Of African Nations

Historically Ebola has had a serious impact on human health and hygiene and still does due to the fact of no vaccine or treatment being discovered, but thanks to improvements in scientific and medical knowledge the virus itself is now controllable.

In late 2013, Ebola virus disease (EVD), a deadly and lethal disease, remerged in West Africa spreading to various countries in the region. In humans, the disease is spread through contact with infected bodily fluids leading to haemorrhagic fever (World Health Organization [WHO], 2015). Originating in 1976 in equatorial Africa, past outbreaks with a few hundred cases had been contained within rural, forested areas in Uganda and Congo (Piot, 2012). In 2014, a total of 20, 206 cases and 7,905 deaths were reported to have occurred in up to eight countries worldwide. Of all cases and deaths resulting from the disease, 99.8% occurred in three neighbouring West African countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (WHO, 2014). With a case fatality rate from about 50% to 90%, and the absence of preventative or curative therapies, the Ebola epidemic has led to overall global alarm and further elucidated existing global health disparities that perpetuated the epidemic with these West African countries.

The whole world is at edge knowing that Ebola is a very lethal virus and it is very tough to treat and cure an infected person. But it has been seen that in countries were level of development is higher and health care is easily reached this disease can be fought.

In 2014 the world watched in horror as West Africa experienced the largest Ebola epidemic in history. Affected countries in Africa included Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone and the epidemic, having begun in December 2013, went on for a full year, with additional cases occurring throughout 2015. Over 19,000 cases were reported by December 2014 and of those, 7,518 lost their lives. Today, we know that in total, over 11,000 people lost their lives ("Previous case counts", 2016). There were many factors at play in this outbreak, such as the emergence of a new strain Ebola virus; a lack of preparedness in West Africa, where Ebola had not been seen prior to 2014; a shortage of health care workers and subsequent death of many more them, leading

What was usually a disease contained in regions of sub-Saharan Africa became a global worry. Although the outbreak started in Guinea, it quickly spread to two neighboring countries. From these three countries, cases were then transmitted to the United States, Spain, and the United Kingdom. No vaccine was available to stop the spread of Ebola. This deadly disease went from being a problem in only a small region of the world to being seen in three noncontiguous countries, which could have sowed the seeds of a pandemic had the cases not been contained. As a global community, we gain from our interactions with all citizens, but we must also be aware that we can also suffer from diseases that we think of as only affecting the “others.” If we do not help those “others,” we may become part of

In both Ebola Outbreak by Dabbous and A mask on the Face of Death by Seltzer they discuss the social and political problems contributing to the spread of Ebola and HIV/AIDS. These Epidemics continue to spread thought out the world to millions of people. The main areas that these diseases began to spread began in very poverty stricken countries. Not only did poverty play a role in the spread but both Dabbous and Seltzer pointed out the lack of education in the area which leads people to easily be manipulated by stories about the diseases. The cultural practices in these areas contribute majorly to the spread of the Ebola and the AIDS virus. These viruses continue to spread to other parts of the world and is hard to contain to a specific location.

Ebola was first recognized in 1976 as the cause of outbreaks of disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as Zaire) and in Sudan. About three hundred people in each of the two nations were infected with the virus, resulting in a mortality rate of 88% in Zaire, and 53% in Sudan (Bulletin of the WHO 1978). The disease as it was discovered spread through direct contact of unmans to humans, and then thought, from non-human primates to humans. The epidemic was a result of unsafe and unsanitary hospital practices, and non-sterilized medical equipment. The disease was then contained, however sporadic outbreaks of the Zaire and Sudan Ebola subtypes have risen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Uganda, and Sudan; one of the latest outbreaks was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in September of 2007.

As the earth has mounted its immune response against the human species" (Preston, 406) in the form of a filovirus which was deemed biologically dormant both in the late nineties’ outbreak and currently, the ethical implications have infected society’s ability to rid itself of Ebola. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone owe the International Monetary Fund a combined payment of three hundred and seventy-two million dollars that were allocated to repress the epidemic (Duval). Although a large portion of the countries have declared themselves Ebola free the remnants of the outbreak remain in the form of economic poverty and a newly built health care frame that does not account for the lack of health care workers, consideration of cultural traditions and was not implemented in a timely manner.

Some of the ways this infection can be spread is by, open wounds, having someone treat your open wound and not follow the sanitary processes like wearing gloves, making sure they wash their hands afterwards can get themselves in deep trouble and having themselves infected, and other people they treated after that open wound. Eyes, someone’s tears due to the painful symptoms have someone rub the tears with a cloth off, and use the same cloth for other various needs. For example: removing sweat, cleaning themselves after they’ve urine, or damping the cloth in water to lower fever, and by that they have already contaminated the water where the next way of infecting yourself is through the mouth. Blood from any open needle not dispensed properly and had contact with other people is another way humans get infected. Body fluids such as: urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen. Feces and vomit can be transmitted by animals, such as bugs and fly’s. Breast milk obviously by breast feeding a baby or anyone consuming the breast milk. Semen is another way people can get infected through oral, vaginal or anal sex. Object can also help transmit this infection like needles, by not being dispensed properly and accidently having contact with another human; and syringes. Also foods, let’s remember this infection can also come from some animals; for example infected

First, the critical need to strengthen health systems overall; with a particular focus on low-income countries, where infectious diseases spread easily. Weak healthcare systems, health worker shortages, lack of appropriate equipment, limited knowledge and training, and insufficient information-sharing systems facilitated the EVD epidemic. Healthcare systems and regional economics are interdependent and models suggest significant future risk of mortality at a country-level and among neighboring countries (Nadhem & Nejib, 2015). Second, mobilization and capacity strengthening towards control and prevention efforts against EVD should be developed at country, regional and international levels. In the WHO Strategic Action Plan collaborative mechanisms relating to communication, public relations, social mobilization, field and cross-border coordination are being strengthened in the affected countries. Similar steps are extended to countries at risk [14,15]. Such support takes the form of activating and testing preparedness plans, active surveillance and strengthening laboratory diagnostic capacity, case management, infection prevention and control

The worst Ebola outbreak began to spread in southern Guinea in December 2013 and its now severely affecting three world’s poorest countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The unusual spread of the virus was down to many factors including intense mobility around the borders, dense population, poor healthcare, government distrust and lack of international response to the epidemic crisis.

Proper communication was not ensured between the affected countries, the people, local leaders, the governments and 1st world countries that would help the African countries. Communication is key especially when an outbreak happens in poor countries who cannot prevent countless people dying because the lack of having none of the required resources and the fact that most Africa are 3rd world

I want you to imagine yourself in a room. Fill it with whatever furnishings you like. Are you done? If so, I want you to imagine ten people in this room with you. They can be people you know or completely fictitious. Consider this. What if I told you that a virus could kill nine out of these ten people and there was nothing you could do to stop it? It is a scary thought, but one that carries real substance in various regions of Africa. In this paper, I will inform you on the virus known as “Ebola” which will include its history, inner workings, signs/symptoms, treatment, and prevention. As a precaution, I must warn you that some of this information is not for the faint of heart.

The outbreak of the dreaded Ebola virus is something that has brought great fear and anxieties on citizens of affected countries and the world in general especially since it was exported from Liberia to the most populous city in Africa, Lagos, Nigeria. Efforts are still being made to come up with a lasting cure for this disease. Meanwhile, it is very vital for all to co-operate with all efforts geared towards stopping the spread of this disease.

On August 8th 2014, following the Emergency Committee meeting convened under the International Health Regulations (IHR) to discuss the outbreak for the first time, we declared that the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) had been met. This was a full five months after the international community was alerted to the outbreak with a report of 86 cases and a case fatality ratio of 68.5% in Guinea. Repeated warnings and requests for assistance from the governments and the handful of international NGO’s who are handling the bulk of the cases have not been responded to appropriately whether in terms of resources or response times. As the lead health organization charged with responding to global health crises, we have been derelict in our support to these entities, the health systems of the countries affected and most critically to the people who have been infected by the virus.