Preventing the plague from going global

More than six months after the latest outbreak of Ebola erupted, countries in West Africa are still struggling to cope as the number of cases and deaths continue to rise.

The nations affected so far – Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal – have been largely powerless in the face of the rapid spread of this deadly disease, which has overwhelmed their comparatively basic healthcare infrastructure. The epidemic has claimed about 2,600 lives, half of the 5,200 cases so far, making it the largest, most severe and most complex outbreak in the 40 years since the disease was first documented, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Margaret Chan.

Amid growing global concern, international medical organisations like the WHO and Doctors Without Borders have urged wealthier countries to help the affected African nations. “Six months into the worst Ebola epidemic in history, the world is losing the battle to contain it,” Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders, warned recently in a speech to the United Nations. She said aid charities and West African governments did not have the capacity to stem the outbreak and needed foreign intervention. The WHO’s Chan said: “The whole world is responsible and accountable to bring the Ebola threat under control.” Late last week the UN Security Council adopted a resolution declaring that the “unprecedented extent of the Ebola outbreak in Africa constitutes a threat to international peace and security”.

In response, the United States and Britain are sending medical equipment and military personnel to help contain the epidemic. The US is sending 3,000 troops plus healthcare workers with medical supplies to set up field hospitals, while the UK is dispatching military personnel and providing more treatment beds. China has sent medical workers and has promised an aid package worth 200 million yuan (Bt1.05 billion). 

The urgency reflects the fact that this outbreak threatens lives and economies not just in Africa, but also in other regions of the world, should it spread. 

MSF’s Liu has warned of a potential surge in infections that could deepen the crisis. She said the number of known Ebola cases was just the “tip of the iceberg”, since many were going unreported. The WHO estimates that the number could double every three weeks.

 With the rate of infection rising, the international community must respond by pumping more resources into battling the epidemic and redoubling work on developing a vaccine that is safe and accessible to the populations under siege.

Following the lead of the US, China and Britain, more nations should contribute to the effort, particularly those with economic ties with Africa.

While beefing up hygiene measures and treatment is vital, the quickest way to halt the spread of a virus is finding a safe, cheap and effective vaccine. On this front, pharmaceutical companies have a vital role to play, and they should be motivated by humanitarian reasons as well as the potential profits.

Research so far has delivered promising results. With the pooled resources and efforts of the international community, as well as a vaccine in the pipeline, the fight against Ebola can hopefully be won. But time is not on our side. Should the virus escape Africa, this could become a world war.