How to stop the spread of Ebola
- 5 years ago
The Ebola outbreak in west Africa is unprecedented. The disease has so far infected 9,000 people and killed half of them, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. By December the World Health Organisation fears there could be 10,000 new cases a week. How do we stop it?
Ebola is only spread through bodily fluids when a person is symptomatic – so it should be possible to contain. Right now, each carrier infects about two others. If that figure can be reduced to less than one, the epidemic will tail off. But NGOs and local governments are struggling to cope; their resources fall far short of what is needed.
The rich world might think it can inoculate itself by screening at airports or quarantining west Africa. But borders are permeable and only a few sick people need to slip through the net for the disease to spread. The only way to stop Ebola is to drain the reservoir of infection within the afflicted ridden countries.
Diagnostic kits would find patients early, ideally before they become symptomatic, and a vaccine could keep medical staff safe, encouraging more to help. But developing these will take months – if they work at all. In the mean time limiting the spread is the priority.
The WHO has set an ambitious goal: within 60 days it want 70% of burials to be safe and 70% of cases isolated at home or in clinics. Public-education is critical and has started to work: more people are burying their dead in safe ways. To have any hope of reaching the target, the afflicted countries need more money and manpower.
Between them America, Britain and the World Bank have already pledged almost $2bn. But the UN says a 20-fold increase in the level of assistance is needed. America has promised to build new clinics that will need 10,000 health workers – but it won’t be providing the staff.
More healthcare workers are vital to contain Ebola, but not enough of them are available on the ground. Building a 100-bed clinic does no good if there aren't enough people to run it.
For more multimedia content from The Economist visit our website: http://econ.st/1odVQnG
Ebola is only spread through bodily fluids when a person is symptomatic – so it should be possible to contain. Right now, each carrier infects about two others. If that figure can be reduced to less than one, the epidemic will tail off. But NGOs and local governments are struggling to cope; their resources fall far short of what is needed.
The rich world might think it can inoculate itself by screening at airports or quarantining west Africa. But borders are permeable and only a few sick people need to slip through the net for the disease to spread. The only way to stop Ebola is to drain the reservoir of infection within the afflicted ridden countries.
Diagnostic kits would find patients early, ideally before they become symptomatic, and a vaccine could keep medical staff safe, encouraging more to help. But developing these will take months – if they work at all. In the mean time limiting the spread is the priority.
The WHO has set an ambitious goal: within 60 days it want 70% of burials to be safe and 70% of cases isolated at home or in clinics. Public-education is critical and has started to work: more people are burying their dead in safe ways. To have any hope of reaching the target, the afflicted countries need more money and manpower.
Between them America, Britain and the World Bank have already pledged almost $2bn. But the UN says a 20-fold increase in the level of assistance is needed. America has promised to build new clinics that will need 10,000 health workers – but it won’t be providing the staff.
More healthcare workers are vital to contain Ebola, but not enough of them are available on the ground. Building a 100-bed clinic does no good if there aren't enough people to run it.
For more multimedia content from The Economist visit our website: http://econ.st/1odVQnG