BY
: Kingsley Komla Adom (25-09-14)
Like a missile on a war mission,the Ebola virus disease
has hit the continent,and has threatened to clear everything in its path.Despite
not being an entirely new disease,the devastation has been massive in worst-hit
West African countries,thought to have relatively weak healthcare systems.
Not only has Ebola succeeded in breaking down
livelihoods and societies in some African Countries,it has also become a threat
to regional and global security.The United Nations security council unanimously
declared the disease outbreak a threat to International peace.
Many Economies on the continent continue to
struggle,and even in their obvious difficulties the disease epidemic would not spare!
Just when Liberia for example was recovering from
the excesses of back-to-back civil wars which ran from 1989 to 2003 in that
country,what happens?They get knocked by a huge blow;the Ebola.
You cannot but feel for the small African country
with a population of about 4.5 million,bordered by Sierra Leone to its
West,Guinea to its North,and Ivory Coast to its East.
The virus has almost ruined everything they had labored for over the past decade,leaving President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
virtually powerless to the torment, and the earlier external assistance is made
readily available to them,together with her neighboring Guinea and Sierra
Leone,the better for the continent.
International
Interventions
The disease which has been described as “deadly”,has
claimed well over two thousand lives,and continues to threaten the future of
countries worst hit by it;Guinea,Sierra Leone and Liberia.
And efforts to stem the tide have intensified in
these countries,with the International Community stepping in to assist in what
they describe as a ‘global security threat’,Ebola.
Though initial response from the International Community
was condescending,it has picked up and gained momentum in the past few weeks.Not
only have there been responses from the continental and international
bodies,but also individual countries feeling strongly about the epidemic have
acted.
The United States of America in partnering other
international bodies, recently deployed a 3,000 man military troop to the
continent to help contain the disease : the troops were to provide assistance
in diverse areas of command and control,logistics expertise,training and
engineering support among others.
Humanitarian crisis as it has been distributed in
some quarters,officials from the United Kingdom announced a donation of some
700 beds to Sieera Leone on September 19,2014,and the British military
engineers were to continue working with the Sierra Leonean government,to
establish new treatment centres in that country,having already committed $40
million towards the battle.
The World Bank approved $750,000 for Guinea-Bissau
as a health contingency plan to help prevent the spread of the disease,though
the country has yet to record any case of the dreadful disease,in response to a
request by the government of that country to prepare an action plan in
collaboration with the World Health Organization.
As support continues to pour in for the affected
countries in the sub-region,embattled Nigerian president,Goodluck Jonathan
mentioned to an applauding UN general Assembly in New York that his country has
contributed $3.5 million towards helping Liberia,Sierra Leone and Guinea,by
providing training and capacity building.
Declaring the outbreak as a threat to Peace and Security
on the continent,Secretary General,Ban Ki-Moon announced on September 18,2014
that the United Nations will deploy a new emergency health mission to fight one
of the most horrific diseases on the planet.The mission to be called the United
Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response or UNMEER,is to have five
priorities:
Stopping the outbreak,treating the infected,ensuring
essential services,preserving stability,and preventing further outbreaks,Moon
told the security council of the body.
China has been supporting the efforts in fighting
against Ebola by providing financial ($32 million in aid to African Nations and
International Organizations fighting Ebola in addition to $4.8 million it sent
in August),material and medical teams to the most affected countries.
Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia on Friday September
19,handed over the certificate of China’s donation to the African Union at the
Headquarters in Addis Ababa,Ethiopia.The regional body (AU) pledged in August
to support the fight with $1 million,monies that were to be contributed by
Individual African States.The fund (Ebola Fund) has received contributions from
Botswana,Nigeria,DRC,Gambia,Malawi,Uganda,and South Africa.
The intensity of the epidemic has won sympathy from
across all quarters.India,which has almost 45,000 citizens in
Guinea,Liberia,Sierra Leone and Nigeria announced it would be donating $50,000
to help augment World Health Organization fight against Ebola.
At the beginning of September this year,France
announced it would be sending 20 specialists in biological disasters to the
course.As of August 28,the French foreign ministry had donated almost $200,000
to the “French Red Cross” to aid the fight in Guinea.It has also supported the
European Humanitarian Agency’s work against Ebola with more than $1 million in
donations.
By September 8,the German Foreign Ministry had also
donated $1.81 million and established an action committee on the disease.
The European Union has pledged almost $200,000,and
announced that Liberia and Sierra Leone will receive further assistance.In
August,Russia announced it would be sending a team of several dozens of
scientists to create a mobile laboratory in Guinea,while Canada declared it
would be sending $2 million worth of medical equipment to West Africa having
previously enunciated more than $3 million in donations to Medecins Sans
Frontieres and World Health Organization,followed by a further $1 million,
August 18.
Cuba not too long ago disclosed it would be sending
165 doctors and nurses to Sierra Leone to battle the disease,and so have other
countries; Turkey,Brazil,Israel among others.
The outpouring of international support,pledges and
commitments has been overwhelming,but like Oliver Twist,we want more!It could
be better.
INTERNAL
EFFORTS;
Sierra
Leone
Governments of these countries (Ebola-hit) have had
to adopt and adapt tough measures to contain the outbreak.
The disease up until September 20,had killed about
600 people,and the figures continue to sky-rocket.A three-day-lock down in
Sierra Leone for instance,intended to undertake a house-to-house exercise,to
identify victims of the disease,who were being kept in the homes of their
families,recorded a 75% success rate,according to a statement released by the
Ministry Of Health in that country.
 |
| some streets in the Sierra Leone capital deserted during the lock-down |
Media sources confirmed more than 200 dead bodies
discovered and 150 new cases uncovered,following the nation-wide lock-down.The
breakdown in health systems,in Sierra Leone and the other terribly hit
countries have led to the spread of the virus like wildfire,as the people
choose to keep their infected relatives,rather than taking them to health
centers.
The exercise identified Port Loko,Bombali,and
Moyamba districts as hotspots for rapid Ebola Response,and Sierra Leone’s
president Ernest Bai Koroma announced these districts would be
quarantined,bringing to five,the number of districts to have been isolated and
quarantined.
 |
| more than 100 bodies were recovered after the nation-wide lock-down in Sierra Leone |
Sierra
Leone figures;
*Total Case Count : 1940
*Total Case Deaths : 597
*Laboratory Confirmed Cases : 1745
(Case counts updated in conjunction with the World
Health Organization updates and are based on information reported by the
Ministries of Health ; as of September 21,2014 updated September 25,2014)
Liberia
In Liberia however,the case is the more devastating.Casualties
of about 1,600 have been so far recorded,though the figures could rise in
coming days if intensive public health education and the practice of
recommended personal hygiene and activities are not upped.
The Ebola outbreak comes a decade into Sierra Leone
and Liberia’s recovery from intertwined civil wars which left hundreds of
thousands killed and has been ongoing in the country since March this year.Just
when the country continued it’s recovery from the events of the past decade,the
virulent disease strikes to cause even more devastation.
 | |
| health workers and volunteers lead an Ebola education drive in Liberia |
A combination of inadequate health facilities and
personnel in this country is to blame partly for the widespread nature of the
epidemic.
Remote villages have been quarantined.A total of about
15 health personnel have died from the virus in the country,while the country
continues to battle with inadequate logistics to combat the spread.
Liberia closed down all schools and quarantined
several communities ,while all non-essential government workers were also put
on 30 days compulsory leave in July.
The isolation unit at the Elwa hospital in the
national capital,Monrovia was revealed to be overrun with cases,and required
all external help possible from the International Community to help deal with
it.
As the country got overwhelmed,the president became
powerless,and strict policy control measures were announced.The president sacked
some ten officials of her cabinet because they failed to heed a warning to
return from an overseas travel to help the government’s fight against Ebola.
 |
| healthcare workers cremating some ebola victims who died in parts of Liberia,as a measure to curb the spread |
The officials included six assistant ministers,two
deputy ministers and two commissioners,who were dismissed for being outside the
country without an excuse,according to a statement from the presidency.
“These
officials showed insensitivity to our national tragedy and disregard for
authority”, it added.
In a desperate call for immediate help,Liberian President,Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf, wrote to US president with one clear message;the urgent need
for aid,
“I
am being honest with you when I say that at this rate,we will never break the
transmission chain and the virus will overwhelm us”.
 |
| health workers burying carcasses of Ebola casualties in Liberia under massive personal protection |
Barack Obama’s response was timely,and his decision
last week to commit $763 million in emergency aid funding and 3,000 military
personnel to build and staff portable hospitals,labs,and training facilities
across the Liberian country was commendable.
In solidarity with Liberia and two other countries
worst-hit by the disease,Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)
chair,President John Mahama paid a visit to these countries and donated food
items to the victims.The items included gallons of cooking oil,bags of
made-in-Ghana rice,Cartons of milk,boxes of chocolate drinks among other
things.
 |
| some made-in-Ghana food items donated to Ebola victims in Liberia by ECOWAS chair,John Mahama |
Help has since been pouring out for the affected
countries to help improve the situation,and hopefully there would be a stop at
some point,before the disease renders even more human populations in these
countries extinct.
Liberian
figures;
*Total Case Count : 3280
*Total Deaths : 1677
*Laboratory Confirmed Cases : 890
(Case counts updated in conjunction with the World
Health Organization updates and are based on information reported by the
Ministries of Health ; as of September 21,2014 updated September 25,2014)
Senegal
Authorities in Senegal in August as well,closed down
all schools across the country to help curb the spread as well as the border
with Guinea initially,defying warnings such a move could be
counterproductive.The country also banned flights from three other worst-hit
territories;Liberia,Sierra Leone and Guinea in a desperate attempt to prevent
the disease from entering the country,but have lifted the said ban,and instead
put proper systems in place.
The Senegalese government has since strengthened the
systematic checks on aircraft and ships traveling from Ebola-ravaged
countries to the capital,Dakar.Meanwhile,boats are boarded for inspection at Senegalese ports before they are allowed to dislodge passengers or cargo.
 |
| Senegalese authorities strengthen checks at sea and air ports |
On-air regular broadcasts have been designed to
communicate prevention advice to the people on both radio and television in
various local languages all day,while a hotline has been distributed throughout
the country to report suspected cases.
 |
| Swift action against Ebola;authorities order all dead bodies to be burnt |
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