Ebola Virus Diseases as a Global Health Issue

Subject: Health and Social Care

Number of words/pages: 432 words/2 pages

Topics: Ebola, Epidemiology, Infection, Medical Care, Treatment, Vaccination

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Table of contents

Introduction

Ebola virus disease abbreviated as EVD is a fatal and very severe disease. It was in the first place discovered in the African DR Congo in 1976. Ebola originates from animals and it is spread to people by interaction with the life blood, other fleshly fluids and dead infected bodies. In 2014, there was a severe and persistent outbreak of the disease in West Africa first reported in Guinea. The outbreak spread to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Senegal and Nigeria. By the end of that year, approximately 10,000 persons had been infected, of whom nearly half the infected died.

Ebola Treatment and Care

There are efforts ongoing to develop drugs that can treat Ebola although there are none that can treat or prevent it. World Health Organization intended to initiate testing vaccines on Ebola on volunteers and health workers. In cases such as Ebola where there are no explicit treatments, healthcare providers manage such ailments with supportive maintenance, in order to reduce the casualties and deaths. Ebola disease is stopped from spreading by the use of containment and surveillance measures. These measures include appropriate diagnostic protocol, managing of contaminated matters, suitable patient care and harmless funeral practices. These measures were employed and effectively controlled all the earlier outbreaks of Ebola.

Health System Constraints in Affected Countries

Before West African outbreak, the healthcare systems there were already poor and thus such an outbreak aggravates the situation whereby such regions are overcome by the catastrophe. The areas that are severely affected by such a crisis include human resources, financing, leadership and governance, networkers on supply chain, delivery of service and communication. The affected nations encounter severe shortages in these areas and the outbreak worsens these problems.

Collaboration to Address Global Health Concerns

During Ebola outbreaks, there are initiatives to send health practioners to the affected region, although manpower limitations endure to hinder containment efforts. For instance during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, numerous nations pledged medical provision to the area. Cuba, U.S Britain and China all pledged support by deploying health professionals, health workers as well as support in funds

1. Frieden, T. R., & Damon, I. K. (2015). Ebola in West Africa—CDC’s role in epidemic detection, control, and prevention. Emerging infectious diseases, 21(11), 1897.

2. Moon, S., Sridhar, D., Pate, M. A., Jha, A. K., Clinton, C., Delaunay, S., & Goosby, E. (2015). Will Ebola change the game? Ten essential reforms before the next pandemic. The report of the Harvard-LSHTM Independent Panel on the Global Response to Ebola. The Lancet, 386(10009), 2204-2221.

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