BY
: Kingsley Komla Adom (25-09-14)
Public
Views on Preparedness
Having spoken to a few people about how prepared
they felt on two levels;personal and national,responses were unanimous.
George seems to think,the hospitals are not ready
for the fight at the moment ;
“I
honestly don’t feel adequately prepared.Personally,I have been following the
news and I have been learning how to prevent contracting the virus.But I still
think there’s more to be done.Everyday our hospitals are reporting lack of
basic protective gears,and that for me is scary.To think even the health
personnel are not fully protected makes me really worried”
According to Elorm,
“the
main source of concern has to be the many unapproved routes dotted all over the
country’s border towns.What happens if an infected person sneaks into the
country on the blind side of the immigration officials?That certainly would
open us up for the spread,if they could strengthen the surveillance in these
areas,perfect”.
Unlike the West African countries who were taken by
surprise by the outbreak and spread of the Ebola Virus Disease,previously scanty
information is now detailed and all over the place.
“I
certainly know that bats,game and a few other mammals have been described as
possible hosts to the virus,so I don’t eat bush meat again.I have my sanitizers
in my bag wherever I go,and apply in between the times.And my hand-washing
regimes have tripled”, Doreen added.
Early detection and medical response have proven
very key,in the management of the disease in affected countries.Christian
believes that the construction of isolation centers has delayed way too
much,even though he agrees financial constraints could have played a role.
“We
heard about the creation of these centers,but I’m yet to learn if they have
been completed and stocked with the right equipments.As I speak with you now,if
there happens to be a suspected case of the disease here,I don’t know where
exactly to take the person,you see,and that’s the challenge”.
As we continue to battle another
disease;Cholera,which has also hit parts of the country with over 10,000
recorded cases and a little over 100 deaths,one cannot but wonder if we can be
able to deal with Ebola.
“I
agree no disease is good,but when you compare cholera to Ebola,obviously the
latter is more dangerous.But if we are struggling to contain even cholera,then
I am afraid the worst could happen should Ebola find its way into the country”
,a visibly worried Kwaku laments.
The education would continue,the discussions would
continue,the public awareness would increase,but most importantly our attitudes
and ways of life must change.We as individuals must be alive to our
responsibilities and how we must adjust.
Even as the talkers continue to talk,and do less
action,it behoves on us to play our own parts to this fight.Nigeria recorded
cases,but have succeeded in containing it,Senegal,same (at least
momentarily),it shows that it is do-able,if only we apply ourselves the best we
have to.
Ebola
Background
The Ebola virus disease first appeared in 1976 in
two simultaneous outbreaks,one in Nzara,Sudan and the other in Yambuku,Democratic
Republic of Congo.The latter occurred in a village near the Ebola river,from
which the disease takes its name.
The recent outbreak is the most complex and largest
since it was first discovered in 1976.
Ebola
Facts:
-Ebola virus Disease (EVD) formerly known as Ebola
Haemorrhagic fever,is a severe,often fatal illness in humans
-The virus is transmitted to people from wild
animals and spread in the human population through human-to-human- transmission
-The first Ebola Virus Disease outbreaks occurred in
remote villages in Central Africa,near tropical rainforests,but the most recent
outbreak in West African has involved major urban areas as well as the rural.
-Symptoms include high fever,muscle
pain,headache,sore throat,followed by diarrhoea,vomitting,rashes,bleeding from one
or many body openings,and central nervous system damage.
-Humans are not infectious until they develop
symptoms
-Fatality rate can reach 90%-but current outbreak
has mortality rate of about 55%
-Incubation period is two-twenty one (2-21) days
-There’s no vaccine or conclusive cure for the
disease
-Ebola is introduced into the human population
through close contact with the blood,secretions,organs,or other bodily fluids
of infected animals such as Chimpanzees,Gorillas,fruit bats(Pteropididae
family),Monkeys,Forest Antelopes,and Porcupines found ill,dead or alive in the
rainforest.
-It then spread through human to human transmissions
via direct contact (through broken skin,or mucus membranes),with the
blood,secretions,fluids of infected people and with surfaces and materials
(examples: bedding,clothing),contaminated with these fluids.
-Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct
contact with the body of the deceased can also play a role in the transmission
of Ebola.
-People remain infectious as long as their blood and
body fluids,including semen and breastmilk.
-Men who have recovered from the disease can still
transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from
illness
-Early Supportive care such as re-hydrating patients
who have diarrhea and vomiting with oral or intravenous fluids,and the
treatment of specific symptoms,improves survival and can help recovery.
-There is as yet no proven treatment available for
the disease.However,a range of potential treatments including blood
products,immune therapies,are currently being evaluated.Two potential vaccines
are undergoing human safety testing.
-Community engagement is key to successfully
controlling outbreaks.
-Good outbreak control relies on applying a package
of interventions,namely case management,surveillance and contact-tracing,a good
laboratory service,safe burials and social mobilisation.
Source:
World Health Organization (W.H.O)
Author’s
advice: Let’s learn how Nigeria and Senegal managed to contain their respective
situations and take important lessons from that to aid our own fight!
Lessons
learnt from Liberia,Sierra Leone,Guinea,Senegal and Nigeria
While two of the epidemic-hit countries were taken
by surprise,others and indeed other African nations must take meaningful cues.
Failed health systems in Liberia,Sierra Leone and
Guinea have not helped them either.A wake up call to our leaders in other African countries to effective immediately put the structures in place.
Education is the beginning of the effort to combat
the disease.The right and appropriate messages have to be made available to the
people,so they are better informed,to prevent for instance the case in remote
Guinea,where health workers and volunteers were attacked and killed for fear of
rather having come to infect the people with the disease.
Another very important need,has got to be the
attitudes and behaviors of the people.A drastic change in our ways of
life,tradition,among others must change.
 | ||
| LOTS OF BODY CONTACTS ARE MADE DURING FUNERALS IN GHANA lets cut down on them | , |
For example,learning from the stories in Sierra
Leone and Guinea,handling of dead bodies must change.And people instead of
hiding their infected relatives in their rooms,for fear of sending them to what
they call,”death centres”,must quickly report to the health facilities,so
immediate measures to prevent further spread are taken.
In parts of Nigeria,the long known greeting methods
of handshakes and hugs have ceased,you would not find people shaking hands for
obvious reasons.Even children have become so aware about the disease and the
basic preventive measures to adopt.
Experts have advocated the use of disinfectants and
hand sanitizers to deal with a lot of the germs that we come into contact with
on a daily basis,but they have been also quick to add that not all products
being paraded on the market are truly germ-killing fluids.
About 80% of the sanitizers that have flooded the
markets are not as powerful as thought,hence cannot kill all germs.
 |
| NOT ALL HAND SANITIZERS CAN KILL ALL GERMS |
Health officials say we should patronize sanitizers
that are;
*Approved by the Food and Drugs Authority (met
quality control standards)
According to the FDA,as of the beginning of
August,2014,only about ten product sanitizers had been validly registered with
the outfit.
*Generally germ-disinfecting : that is they can kill
nearly all manner of germs (bacteria,virus,protozoa,fungi etc)
*Chemically composed of didecydimethyl,ammonium and
chloride and not only alcohol
Health experts have also warned that,the sanitizers
be not substitute proper handwashing with detergent and running water.They have
advised that regular hand washing in the course of the day is ideal.
Avoid being at overly crowded places,when it is not
absolutely necessary to be there.Organizers of conferences and programmes which
require the gathering of people,must as a matter of compulsion provide
disinfectants and sanitizers at programme venues for use by attendees.
 |
| we can avoid being at crowded places;it will help |
We cannot emphasize enough that Ebola is real,YES!
Wiping away scores of human populations in affected countries,YES! But it can
be easily contained if proper systems are put in place and the people are alive
to the realities.Nigeria and Senegal at least for now have showed the way,why
can’t we?
The Author of this piece is a Journalist in
Accra-Ghana.
e-mail : kingsleykomla@gmail.com
twitter : @kingsley_komla
blog address : www.kingsleykomla.blogspot.com
