The Ebola Campaign
Ebola’s full name is Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). It is a severe illness that often causes fatalities and primarily affects humans and primates. The virus is thought to have originated in some species of wild animal (fruit bats) before being spread to the human population for the first time in Central Africa in 1976. Once in humans, Ebola can be spread through bodily fluids. One of the largest outbreaks of EVD occurred from 2014-2016, which resulted in high fatalities among the Central African population.
Ebola has several symptoms that begin to arise between the 2nd and 21st day after infection. Many of the symptoms are sudden and may be experienced with intense fevers. These include things like fatigue, vomiting, muscle pain, sore throat, among others. In more progressive stages symptoms such as diarrhea, rashes, impaired liver and kidney functions, and/or internal/external bleeding may also develop. One of the issues that remains with EVD is that in the region where it is most prevalent, there are also many other illnesses that affect the population (these can include malaria, meningitis, and typhoid fevers). Once contracted, the survival rate for the infected is quite low even if medical assistance is sought. The fatality rate can range from 25% to 90%, though these odds vary significantly based on a number of other variables. Asymptomatic patients of EVD cannot pass the illness. There is no decisive treatment for EVD as of September 21st, 2020. There are a range of different therapies designed to assist and improve the mortality rate among infected individuals. The most effective way to prevent Ebola is good hand hygiene. There have been experimental vaccines that were developed in 2015 that are largely protective against EVD.
Organizations such as the World Health Organization have been called to help aid in the state of emergency caused by the Ebola Virus Disease (in particular, in the Republic of Congo). The intervention of this organization has been monumental in reducing the number of infected persons and providing adequate treatment to those who were infected. The impact of their work was so great that on March 4th of 2020, the Republic of Congo had officially ended the EVD outbreak within their borders that had lasted for nearly two full years.
It’s important to note that the emergence of EVD was due to close human interaction with animals. If no precautionary measures are taken then it is likely that the disease will re-emerge with time. Another thing to consider is the evolution of the disease. Oftentimes with diseases that jump between species, there is often an evolution or a change made to the genetic makeup of the given disease. Strains often evolve and can sometimes even merge with other strains rendering all past treatments to either strain ineffective. This was the case in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the 2018 outbreaks. Some of their more recent outbreaks are different from the earlier more novel outbreaks of the strain.
Organizations like Global Health Impact are dedicated to making sure that everyone can have access to medical procedures, vaccines, and medications so that an individual can live a longer life filled with less suffering. Initiatives like these are possible if governments partner up with organizations like GHI and in doing so are maximizing the survivability of their population. It is important that the Democratic Republic of Congo work with WHO, GHI, and other organizations to not only reduce and/or eliminate conditions that led to the disease in the first place, but to also ensure that everyone has equal access to medical treatment and improve the survivability of those who are infected (should another outbreak occur).
References
World Health Organization: WHO. “Overview.” Ebola Virus Disease, 18 June 2019, www.who.int/health-topics/ebola/#tab=tab_1.
World Health Organization: WHO. “Symptoms.” Ebola Virus Disease, 18 June 2019, www.who.int/health-topics/ebola/#tab=tab_2.
World Health Organization: WHO. “Treatment and Prevention.” Ebola Virus Disease, 18 June 2019, www.who.int/health-topics/ebola/#tab=tab_3.
World Health Organization. “Weekly epidemiological record.” World Health Organization, 3 Sept. 2020, www.who.int/csr/don/archive/disease/ebola/en.
“Studies Find Ebola Gene Differences in Recent DRC Outbreaks.” CIDRAP, University of Minnesota, 16 Apr. 2019, www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2019/04/studies-find-ebola-gene-differences-recent-drc-outbreaks.
