Ebola

Question 1

How many casualties were there in the West African Ebola epidemic?

Answer 1

• 28,000 infections
• 12,000 deaths

Question 2

How does Ebola spread?

Answer 2

• Exposure to bodily fluids of an infected person

Question 3

What is the fatality rate of Ebola?

Answer 3

• ~50%
• can vary between 25 to 90% depending on circumstances

Question 4

When did the West African Ebola epidemic take place?

Answer 4

• 2013-2016
• in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone

Question 5

When is a country declared Ebola free?

Answer 5

• When it has been more than 42 days since the last new case of Ebola was declared

Question 6

How was intervention orchestrated against Ebola?

Answer 6

• MSF were the first to respond
• opened 15 treatment centres
• brought 1400 tonnes of equipment
• 530,000 protective suits
• WHO declared emergency in 2014
• created $1bn roadmap for controlling outbreak
• EU gave $1bn
• for mobile labs, healthcare provision, vaccine research
• World Bank gave $500 million
• for training health workers
• and reducing economic impact on countries affected

Question 7

What positives came from the intervention against Ebola in Liberia?

Answer 7

• Measles vaccinations were deployed
• Disinfectant was more rigorously used
• Hygiene regulations in hospitals updated
• washing of hands
• beds are not shared
• Adverts for good hygiene practices on city walls
• Use of chlorinated handwash

Question 8

How has the culture in West Africa been changed by the Ebola epidemic?

Answer 8

• increases in understanding of transmission of diseases
• usage of safe burial teams to bury Ebola victims
• means that some traditions cannot be followed
• deviation from cultural practices can create mistrust of Western aid and medicine
• regular handwashing

Question 9

What potential threats did the Ebola epidemic intervention pose to peoples’ human rights?

Answer 9

• Isolating at home after contact with infected or being infected
• at odds with right to freedom
• Schools were closed during the epidemic
• right to education restricted
• some lost 6 months of schooling
• bad considering how limited and poor schooling is in some parts of Africa

Question 10

What concerns are there about Liberia’s future?

Answer 10

• Will hospitals be able to continue providing healthcare services to same standard once aid ends?
• What plans are in place to support families who have lost breadwinners?
• 5000 children have been orphaned
• who will support?
• Child labour is on rise
• teenage pregnancies have also spiked
• Airlines have not return to Liberia
• makes facilitating trade and aid hard

Question 11

What sort of things did aid organisations provide during the West African Ebola epidemic?

Answer 11

• chlorine supply
• nurses and health workers
• treatment centres
• hazmat suits
• medicine
• food as well
• soap
• water maybe
• knowledge of Ebola prevention measures
• bikes and trucks