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Ebola Demands Efficient Global Response PDF Print E-mail
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Ebola response in Liberia - Credit NBC

Irma Arguello|La Nación (Spanish)| 22 Oct 2014

Ebola’s arrival in Europe, made obvious by the infection of Spanish nurse Teresa Romero Ramos, became the leading case to understand the risks involved if the spread of the virus acquired a global reach.

Since six months ago with the first news of the outbreak in Guinea, and consequent spread to other Western African nations, the world went on alert. Nevertheless, the remote location of the cases resulted in a delay to structure practical and effective international response to control the situation in those countriesm as well as to prevent further dissemination of the disease. 
 

The news from West Africa continue to be grim. Official figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) so far has reported 4,500 fatalities and more than 9,200 infected in seven countries, although it is estimated that such figures could be up to two and a half times.

Uncertainty relating to the magnitude of the outbreak goes along with the low socio-economic development of the most affected countries and the practical difficulties in identifying the infection due to the lack of diagnostic facilities. In terms of treatment, given the number of cases, health systems in those countries are now totally overwhelmed.

However, deficits in the early diagnosis and treatment are also present in most developed countries. Symptoms of these infections are confusing and any delay in identifying the disease significantly increases the risk of contagion. Such was the case of Teresa, who received the diagnosis of Ebola only after a week from the onset of symptoms

With no doubt, Ebola entails devastating humanitarian consequences, but also represents a serious threat to international security. It is clear that Ebola brings about panic and disruption in human activities. The experience of those nations stricken by the outbreak speaks of increase in violence, which has even resulted in attacks on health workers.

World Bank experts estimate economic losses associated to the outbreak in the order of one billion dollars. If it grows into a pandemic, the governmental instabilities, and the social and economic collapses could also spread on a global scale.

The CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the official public health organization of the United States, has affirmed that without an adequate level of international aid the number of people infected by the disease could reach almost 1.5 million people by January 2015. In that case, of course, no country would be exempt from receiving infected with the virus through their borders.

However, successful cases of Nigeria and Senegal show that the epidemic can be controlled at the point of origin and it should be the main goal. Thus it becomes imperative efficient international cooperation. Countries must work together to prevent the virus spreading to new countries and also for health systems to provide adequate and humane treatment to the victims.

Status of international aid - Donor countries and total amountMany countries are already taking steps in this direction. The United States, the United Kingdom and France, and even Cuba and China, have sent aid (funds and in-kind contributions) and in some cases, personnel in the field. Such countries are today 45 and even though some key players are missing, the monetary value of the assistance reaches 1.25 billion dollars.

The United Nations has issued a list of resources that are considered indispensable for urgent response. Many of the listed elements are affordable even for countries with lower economic strength. It is clear however, that a competent and timely use of available resources is required from the international agencies accountable for such response. This aspect is so relevant that that it requires executive leaderships able to go beyond desktop bureaucracies. This also represents a big challenge.

The Ebola crisis also brings opportunities to generate spaces of international cooperation in pursuit of shared objectives, beyond the scope of political disagreements between states. In this regard, key agreements are needed to structure a global system to prevent, detect and respond to any infectious outbreak that might occur in the future, be this natural or caused by bio-terrorism.

Undoubtedly, the scale and seriousness of the threat imposes direct and coordinated intervention of the highest authorities of the States to prevent the catastrophe reaches an unpredictable magnitude. Of course, it is not enough for countries to entrench behind their own borders, only following adequate sanitary protocols.

The main objective is to control the outbreak before it spreads, there, in the most affected countries. In the case of the Latin American and Caribbean region, Brazil, Cuba, Chile and Colombia have already joined the global response and the list is increasing day by day. Argentina should not be absent.

The author is Founder of the Latin American and Caribbean Leadership Network -LALN and Chairs the NPSGlobal Foundation.

 

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