Posts
A Scathing Ebola Analysis; David Quammen on Ebola as a Dress Rehearsal; and Lessons from a Grand Canyon River Raft Ride
==============================
EBOLA
A “Scathing Analysis”
Nigerian virologist and president of the Nigerian Academy of Science pulled no punches when he criticized Africa’s Ebola preparedness and response in his talk at the International Meeting on Emerging Diseases and Surveillance in Vienna. “Stunned silence” followed.
Following up on that “scathing analysis,” ScienceInsider’s Kai Kupferschmidt sat down with Tomori for a Q&A. Tomori catalogs the failings of West Africa’s response, the opportunities squandered, the costs of corruption, etc.
Tomori is sincere, informed and angry. This is an essential read.
The Quote: “Yes, I am [angry], because I know Africa has the capacity and the capability to solve most of her problems, but Africa will not enable her human resources to perform effectively and efficiently. African leaders have little or no respect for their experts and would rather act on advice from external sources. In the end, they become the experts on Africa’s problems, not the Africans. This is why I am angry with Africa.”
** ScienceInsider (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
GHN Exclusive: Q&A with David Quammen
Ace science writer David Quammen has released an Ebola-specific excerpt of his book ** Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
. To help frame the 2014 Ebola outbreak within the broader context of emerging zoonotic diseases, Quammen recently published ** Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Virus (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
with a thought-provoking, updated and expanded introduction. -Dayna Kerecman Myers.
Q. Early on in the debate over travel restrictions, you warned of the dangers of such isolationist measures. Why are quarantine measures announced by states a bad idea?
It stirs complex conflicts involving civil liberties as well as public health, which many of us saw coming. I believe that closing borders completely would be not only impracticable, but counterproductive, because we if we close borders entirely then we won’t be able to get human and material resources needed to fight the outbreak in West Africa.
One of the most unfortunate things about the quarantine kerfuffle is that it distracts from the crucial efforts to contain Ebola. No one will be completely safe anywhere until we stop it in West Africa. Still, I respect the complexity of the decisions that people in the government are making. Voluntary quarantining seems like a reasonable notion for some. But people following voluntary quarantining, then going out to restaurants and riding the subway, undermine that case.
Q. What is the mainstream media missing in its Ebola coverage and what do most people in the West not understand about Ebola?
People don’t understand that Ebola 2014 is not a one-time concern; it’s part of a pattern of emerging zoonotic diseases. It’s not random misfortune; there is a cause and effect related to human activity and the disruption of ecosystems.
We need to solve Ebola 2014, but it isn’t the next big one, it’s just a dress rehearsal—one that is going poorly and showing us that our preparation is in disarray. To change that, we might need legislation specifying who is in charge, more investment in infectious disease research and monitoring, and clear, consistent protocols. It’s a terrible crisis, but it also represents a dark opportunity to educate the public. We have their attention, and we need to honor that with real information rather than just scaremongering.
Ed. Note: Stay tuned. The interview continues in tomorrow’s Global Health NOW.
Related: Ebola-carrying bats may be heroes as well as villains – ** Thomson Reuters (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
Round-Up
* WHO will pick a new regional director for Africa this week, amid leaked accusations from WHO blaming the office for botching the Ebola response and describing many regional staffers as "politically-motivated appointments." ** Associated Press (http://jhsph.us3.list-
* Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health teamed up with the School of Engineering and Applied Science to find clever ways to help crowdsource solutions to contain Ebola; this piece shows video presentations and a slideshow. ** CBC Radio (http://jhsph.us3.list-
* Lassa fever season is about to start in West Africa; but it has been largely forgotten in the Ebola crisis—prompting health workers to warn they are ill-equipped to battle the fever—which features early symptoms that mirror Ebola. ** BBC (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
* Laurie Garrett describes what it means for health workers from abroad trying to help contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, dealing with uncertainties ranging from quarantines upon their return, to insurance companies denying medevac coverage. ** Foreign Policy (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
No comments:
Post a Comment