Ebola Outbreaks Evoke Economic Injustice In 2014 Liberia
Ebola Outbreaks Evoke Economic Injustice
In 2014, Liberia and surrounding countries had a largescale outbreak of Ebola that caused a major health crisis, resulting in a devastating epidemic. The Ebola Virus Disease was first discovered in 1976 when there were two sudden outbreaks that occurred in Central Africa near the Ebola River, which is how the disease got its name.
What is Ebola? Ebola (EVD) is a serious illness that can be fatal if not treated properly. Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding, and rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and often times, death.
How is it transmitted? The virus is transmitted from wild animals such as fruit bats that carry EVD to humans. The disease can be spread from human to human by bodily fluid contact.
Public Health Emergency The most recent outbreak in West Africa is the largest since the disease was first discovered. West Africa is at high risk of infection due to the lack of treatment, prevention, education, and awareness; their nation has declared a public health emergency. Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone are the countries most affected by Ebola. Each of these countries have extremely weak health systems and lack necessary resources.
Economic Injustice Several cases of Ebola outbreaks give evidence to economic injustice in these West African countries, due to the lack of health care and aid being provided by the government. If the proper treatment and resources became available to this poor nation, the fatality rate of this deathly disease would be significantly less.
Political standpoint Put strict guidelines into place Research the disease and cures Learn from other countries
Guidelines With strict guidelines put into place we can help contain Ebola. Identify Isolate inform
Research Set money aside to research the disease and to pursue possible cures. Injustice in research
Learn from other countries Polio in India America and the Zika Virus
Health Literacy “Obtain, process and understand basic health information. ” U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Lack of materials “governmental and research institutions are inadequately equipped to diagnose, track, report, and provide prompt, accessible and affordable treatment (5). ” - Ernest Tambo.
Containment Liberia failed to contain patients suspected of exposure to Ebola.
Solutions Governments should start raising awareness and teaching how to respond to emergencies. Use technology where ever possible. Budget health emergencies.
How Ebola effects families Social workers can play a key role in educating people about Ebola and playing public concern about the disease. We have dealt with many families that have been affected from the disease Ebola has many effects on the patient, additionally it affects their family members. As a social worker we are witnessing children and their families being exposed to extreme distress due to loss, family separation, poverty, isolation and overall disruption of society, since the initial Ebola outbreak.
As social workers, we have met children who have survived the virus, but lost their parents, siblings or their care giver. Ebola has made thousands of children feeling unwanted and even abandoned. Children of dead parents are being forced into orphanages. In 2014, UNICEF estimates about 3700 children have lost at least one parent because of the Ebola outbreak in Africa The Liberian government identified and documented 2, 200 boys and 2, 372 girls who have lost either one or both parents to the Ebola virus in Liberia.
Jane has lost both of her parents to Ebola and now lives with her uncle. Jane now suffers the effects of malnutrition, eating only one meal a day, funded by their uncle’s wood chopping business. “I know my brother and sister died from hunger and it makes me scared, I need food and clothing but my uncle has very little. ” Jane, 8, Sierra Leone.
As social workers we have also noticed that Ebola has caused families to lose their jobs. Ebola has effected families struggles for the cost of living. Kamba is the wife of Thomas who has a family of 21 members. Thomas body was tested and found positive for the Ebola virus. After he was diagnosed, he returned from his trip very ill and passed away a few days later. Kamba’s job was to sell goods from her market booth. Now because of the Ebola outbreak, no one in the community will buy from her. She has 21 members of her family to care for and now has no income. It’s very difficult for her to make ends meet. “I am so tired of living, because of the way people see my family. No one comes to see us, even our friends are afraid to come and visit us. ” (Kamba, www. actionaidusa. org/liberia) Not only has Ebola caused her to lose her husband, but she has lost her livelihood.
Many other families also had separation problems due to the disease. Because of the death caused by Ebola, Duncans family had to complete a 21 -day observation period without falling ill. They were isolated from the rest of the world, and were no able to leave the apartment until they were no longer at risk of the disease.
Lack of Research Economic injustice No research being conducted within the country or outside of it Outside world is unaware of epidemic “Thousands of people in these countries [Western Africa] are dying because, in the lottery of birth, they were born in the wrong place”(The Washington Post). - World Bank President Jim Kim
Countless Dead Because of Lack of Research Death occurs because of lack of research into deadly disease/viruses, such as Ebola People unable to fund their own treatment Government unable to aid citizens
Importance of Research Without research the citizens of these countries are left ignorant (not by choice) and defenseless Prevent spread of Ebola Containment Proper precautions
GDP Economic deficits evident when GDP is examined Raise GDP Higher GDP= funded research, better healthcare, healthier population, which leads to a stronger more productive country
Outside Researchers Research done by larger countries Research donated to smaller countries as a selfless kind act Vaccines donated to save the population of these African countries
Solutions Conduct research in larger wealthier countries Pharmaceutical companies donating vaccines/medicines Research being done and donated Research being funded in Africa
Works cited Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease). Last Updated: March 31, 2016. Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook. Mui, Ylan Q. , The Washington Post, What the Ebola Outbreak Tells Us About Global Inequality. October 2014. Prince, Rob. Foreign Policy In Focus, Ebola: A Symptom of Economic Inequality. October 2014. United Nations Development Group, Socio-Economic Impact of Ebola Virus Disease in West African Countries. February 2015. World Bank, Ebola: Most African Countries Avoid Major Economic Loss but Impact on Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone Remains Crippling. January 2015. World Bank, The Socio-Economic Impacts of Ebola in Liberia. 2015. World Health Organization, Factors that contributed to undetected spread of the Ebola virus and impeded containment. January 2015. Strauss, Stephen. "Ebola Research Fueled by Bioterrorism Threat. "CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne 186. 16 (2014): 1206 -. Print "New Ebola Guidelines for Emergency Departments Published by CDC. " Politics & Government Business (2014): 51. Print. Heidi J Larson, and Isaac Ghinai. "Lessons from Polio Eradication. " Nature 473. 7348 (2011): 446. Print. Landler, Mark. "Obama Asks Congress for $1. 8 Billion to Combat Zika Virus. " The New York Times, 08 Feb. 2016. Web. 13 Apr. 2016. Abhishek Pandey, et al. "Strategies for Containing Ebola in West Africa. " Science 346. 6212 (2014): 991 -5. Print. Stephanie Viguers. "Americas Battle Zika Virus. " Infectious Disease News 29. 2 (2016): 1. Print. Tambo, Ernest. "Need of Surveillance Response Systems to Combat Ebola Outbreaks and Other Emerging Infectious Diseases in African Countries. "Infectious Diseases of Poverty. Bio. Med Central, 05 Aug. 2014. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. "Health Literacy - Fact Sheet: Health Literacy Basics. " Health Literacy - Fact Sheet: Health Literacy Basics. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, n. d. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
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