Almost 10000 dead Ebola not yet survived

Ebola epidemic in West Africa: hope and discouragement

04/03/2015

The Ebola epidemic in West Africa is not over yet. The dangerous infectious disease has already caused almost 10,000 deaths. Although reports of the decline in the number of new infections give cause for hope, it is also reported that there are more Ebola cases, especially in Sierra Leone.

Vice President of Sierra Leone quarantined
The Ebola epidemic in West Africa has already caused almost 10,000 deaths. Although the three countries most affected by the disease had recently announced their intention to defeat the epidemic by mid-April, it is unclear whether this will work. On the one hand there is hope on the basis of reports of decreased numbers of new infections, on the other hand it is reported that in some places more Ebola cases are reported. In Sierra Leone, the country's vice president, Sam Sumana, has himself quarantined one of his bodyguards after the death of Ebola „Southgerman newspaper“ (SZ) reports. According to them, the number of Ebola cases in the country is increasing again. This increase is attributed by the government, especially to traditional funerals of victims of Ebola, in which participants held not enough distance from the infectious dead.

Confidence about early control of the disease
The „Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung“ (FAZ) reported, however, that the number of new infections with the Ebola virus has recently fallen to 99 weekly. Therefore, the slogan in the fight against the disease is more than ever: „Ebola Zero“. According to reports, a joint conference led by EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and the Presidents of the three most affected countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in Brussels, with a total of 600 participants from more than 70 states, said that the disease would soon prevail be under control. Nevertheless, politicians and non-governmental organizations called for caution. So said the president of Guinea, Alpha Condé :: „As long as there is Ebola in one of the three countries, we are not over the mountain.“

Over 9,600 Ebola dead
The EU partners alone have provided around € 1.2 billion in grants since the outbreak of the West African epidemic. MSF and other non-governmental organizations, as well as volunteers from around the world and also military are on hand to help. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 23,700 Ebola cases were registered by the end of February, and more than 9,600 patients did not survive the disease. „Since Ebola does not take limits into account, regional cooperation is a prerequisite for success“, said the European Ebola Coordinator, EU Health Commissioner Christos Stylianides. But first of all it is important to find every case of illness. The gaze must already open now „the day after“ with more efficient health systems and the economic reconstruction of the three countries.

„The next Ebola epidemic is coming“
The State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Thomas Silberhorn, said in Brussels that the disease had thrown back the three countries for five to ten years. „Fields are no longer ordered, children do not go to school, markets no longer work“, so the CSU politician. The German physician Gisela Schneider was an expert of the Protestant relief organizations Bread for the World and Diakonie several times in the crisis area. She sees the structure „sustainable structures“ in the health system of African countries as the most important task. Referring to the suspected and difficult to prevent transmission of the disease from fruit bats to other animals and humans, Schneider told the FAZ: „The next Ebola epidemic is coming.“

Avoid direct physical contact
Trust is, in addition to the necessary prevention, such as the avoidance of direct physical contact in case of suspected illness, a crucial prerequisite. The doctor referred to a network of shop stewards built in Sierra Leone with their help, each looking after 40 people in their area. Through this early warning system, a total of 4,000 representatives had succeeded in educating 160,000 people about precautionary measures. When people become infected, medical professionals can still treat only the typical Ebola symptoms. These include fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, as well as internal and external bleeding. An approved vaccine or remedy, despite intensive research and enormous international financial support, is currently unavailable. (Ad)