The Threat of Ebola

While news on the Ebola epidemic in Africa has waned in America because there are no longer any real threats here in terms of the epidemic spreading (and, unfortunately, we live in an environment where others are primarily concerned with their own well-being and those of people nearby), the issue of the Ebola virus is still a very pressing one. In a March 27 brief by The Associated Press, Sierra Leone's six million residents were told to remain at home for the entirety of the weekend, with the exception of religious services, as Sierra Leone attempted to rid itself of the disease. Thousands of workers traveled the entirety of the nation educating people on the symptoms of the disease, on how to prevent it, and on how it is spread. These workers also looked for Ebola cases as they traveled around the nation educating people. This is critical in the fight against Ebola, and against so many other diseases in these poor nations – the need to educate people on how these diseases are spread, and how to protect against them. Drugs and vaccines are not the only solution – they are merely part of it – and along with an educational approach like the one being taken in Sierra Leone, such a combined effort creates a very real chance of eradicating these awful diseases.

Also, on the issue of Ebola, a brief from Reuters says that two experimental vaccines, one from GlaxoSmithKline, the other from the NewLink Genetics Corporation, have passed initial tests to ensure their safety and efficacy. There is currently a clinical trial being conducted in Liberia, with more than 600 volunteers taking these vaccines to test them for both safety and efficacy. Pending positive results, these drugs will move into secondary rounds of testing. When we talk about the eradication of diseases like Ebola, especially those that primarily exist and thrive in poor, under-developed nations, we need look at a multi-faceted approach to eradicating disease: educating people on the disease and the symptoms of it, ensuring that people know how to protect themselves from the disease, making sure that there is enough allocated funding to help victims of the disease, creating drugs and vaccines for it, as well as a government-based approach as to how to lessen the harms of the disease.

References:

1. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/world/africa/sierra-leone-citizens-told-to-stay-home-to-halt-ebola.html
2. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/27/world/africa/ebola-vaccines-pass-initial-safety-tests.html?ref=africa
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/world/africa/wish-to-do-more-in-ebola-fight-meets-reality-in-liberia.html?action=click&contentCollection=US%20Open®ion=Article&module=Promotron