IS EBOLA THE UGLY SISTER OF AIDS?
Thousands die in Africa’s agony – World leaders look the other way
The current outbreak of
the Ebola virus started in late 2013 in the remote forests of Guinea
and rapidly spread to multiple hotspots in 6 countries – Guinea,
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria an din the past few days to Congo (RDC),
Senegal.
Medecins sans Frontières (MSF) states
that the spread of the virus is out of control, ‘an epidemic of a
magnitude never before seen’, due to woefully inadequate medical
facilities, especially in recently war-torn Liberia & Sierra Leone.
World Health Organisation (WHO) is
blamed by MSF for drastically under-estimating the crisis and thus
responding too little & too late. WHO has belatedly described the
outbreak as a crisis of worldwide proportions and now project 20,000
deaths.
Leaders of industrialized countries are equally lambasted by MSF for ignoring the crisis.
To date over 3,000 cases have been reported, with 1,552 deaths, figures that increase daily. The death rate is as high as 90%.
The chilling MSF message is - “millions of lives are at risk - this is war”.
The African fruit bat,
a delicacy when eaten dried, is thought to be the initial transmitter
of the frequently named Vampire Virus. Additionally all bush animals –
apes, monkeys, gazelles, rats, porcupines… the daily fare for villagers,
if infected, pass on the virus to humans.
Transmission by infected humans is
thru contact with bodily fluids and waste, including saliva, sweat and
even a reported case of infection via a stolen mobile phone.
The Ebola virus is difficult to detect at the early incubation stage, when symptoms are similar to influenza with fever, headaches, diarrhoea, perspiration…
The
virus then kicks in with ferocious force causing internal and external
haemorrhaging, the collapse of vital organs and inevitably death within 5
to 12 days, accompanied by frequent infection of volunteer health
workers.
No known cure exists
to day, despite the first outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Congo in
1976. The most promising treatment is ZMapp, an experimental drug that
has treated with apparent, but unequal success a small number of local
and expat infected health workers. Produced by a tiny laboratory in San
Diego, ZMapp stocks are exhausted.
Glaxo
Kline Smith (GKS) is racing to develop a vaccine, which they will start
testing on healthy people in African countries in September. They hope
to have 10,000 doses ready by year-end.
The risk of geographical spread has
caused West African countries to quarantine their affected neighbours.
Some 200 countries have introduced legal border and airport measures of
surveillance and prevention of the spread thru entry by infected
travellers & products.
Our Global Village is
nonetheless at high risk thru the covert importation of infected bush
meat, clothing, travel and the repatriation of sick health workers.
TIME4AFRICA –
massive resources, research & funding must be urgently voted for a
cure and life-saving in, much neglected, African countries, before this
human tragedy becomes a Continental crisis which will, inevitably, land
on our Western doorsteps to confirm our worst fears that Ebola is the
ugly sister of AIDS.
WHAT CAN YOU & I DO? Prevention
is better than cure – wash & disinfect hands at all appropriate
moments; never eat imported bush meat; avoid previously worn clothing
from suspect sources as well as unnecessary travel to the 6 countries…
And PLEASE DONATE to the heroic health-care NGOs working in the Ebola hotspots.
Zen4Zulu
our Association has no direct involvement, lacking the necessary
medical skills – we do however have 15 years of living & working in
French-speaking West Africa, English/Swahili-speaking East Africa - with
3 years in Uganda and South Africa. Thus we can manage or advise the
allocation of your donations to dedicated NGOs with qualified
health-workers and minimal audited overheads.
Finally say a prayer for Africa. Nkosi sikele ‘I Afrika.