The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa could take a political turn by distabilizing the nations badly affected by the disease.
Ebola has killed more than 1,578 people in Liberia, 632 in Guinea, 593 in Sierra Leone and 8 in Nigeria. The death toll has therefore passed 3,000 so far which mainly occurred in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
An Ebola awareness personnel trying to raise wareness about the disease were killed last week in southeastern part of Guinea by villagers. The team disappeared after being pelted with stones by residents when they arrived in the village of Wome. The villagers were said to be suspicious that the team was spreading the disease.
Guinean officials say 27 suspects have been arrested over the murder of the team which include three doctors and three journalists.
The World Health Organization has also warned that Ebola infections could increase to 20,000 by November if efforts to tackle the outbreak were not stepped up. New figures suggest that 70% of those infected with Ebola in West Africa have died, putting the disease in a very deadly position.
President Barack Obama told the United Nations’s General Assembly that Ebola is a global threat to humanity and that all nations should join the fight against it.
Liberia and Sierra Leone are recovering from brutal civil wars and Guinea has faced coups and ethnic unrest. Food prices and basic social amenities have dramatically gone up in these countries in the past months.
The International Crisis Group said in a statement that the Ebola crisis has exposed citizens lack of trust in their government in already fragile societies in the three worst-hit countries. It therefore warned that past civil conflicts fuelled by local and regional antagonisms could resurface again in these countries.
“The worst-hit countries now face widespread chaos and potentially collapse, adding social breakdown to the epidemic would create disaster perhaps impossible to manage”.
“Despite rhetoric to the contrary, West African governments have tried to manage these crises unilaterally, ignoring – as demonstrated once again by the rapid spread of Ebola – that their citizenries are deeply linked and interdependent”.
“The international community needs to provide more personnel and resources not only to the immediate medical response but also to the longer-term problems of strengthening governance and rebuilding health-care systems”, ICG said in the statement.
According to health experts, Ebola Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and breakdown of central nervous system. The disease is said to spread by body fluids such as blood or saliva.
Fatality rate is said to be around 90% but current outbreak have mortality rate of about 55% and incubation period is 2 to 21 days. There is no proven vaccine or cure as at now but supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhea and vomiting can help recovery.
Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News
Writer’s Email Address: Adamsisska@googlemail.com
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