Roles and strategies of international humanitarian organisations in handling the Liberia Ebola outbreak

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Bainga Kangbai ◽  
Ahmed Alameldeen
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
West African ◽  
World Health ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
African Countries ◽  
History Of ◽  
Public Health Emergency Preparedness

Abstract Background In Early August 2014, the World Health Organisation declared an Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the region of West Africa. The West African EVD outbreak was the largest, most severe, and complex in the nearly four-decade history of this disease. The management of EVD cases in Liberia was similar to the other affected West African countries. Methods We reviewed the method and strategies used by some of the international humanitarian organisations in handling the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak in Liberia. This report is a collection of personal field experiences in Liberia as well as personal interviews of healthcare personnel working for some of these international organisations working on the Ebola emergency in Liberia. Findings Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) was the first humanitarian NGO to deploy medical staff to the field in Liberia during the 2013-2016 EVD outbreak. MSF staffs were already operating in Liberia even before the declaration of the outbreak in August 2014.Conclusions The slow response by the international humanitarian organisations to lend their support in bringing the EVD outbreak to and exhibited the fear the international community have for deadly infectious diseases more than armed conflicts.Recommendations We recommend regularly training in public health emergency preparedness for third world countries that are highly susceptible to health emergencies such as Ebola outbreak to help prepared them ahead of such outbreak.

scholarly journals Comunicação em Saúde: Evitar o Contágio da Doença por Vírus Ébola nos PALOP – Metodologia KISS & KEYWORDS

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Isabel De Santiago ◽  
José Pereira Miguel ◽  
Francisco Antunes
Keyword(s):  
Health Communication ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Population Based ◽  
World Health ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Communication Plan ◽  
Sao Tome And Principe ◽  
The Individual

In this work, Health Communication is considered as an important discipline in medicine and health sciences for his role as true determinant of health. We highlight their contribution to health promotion and disease prevention. Thus, the Health Communication Plan (PCS): Preventing the spread of Ebola virus disease in the Portuguese Speaking African Countries - KISS &amp; KEYWORDS methodology is a tool that aims to minimize the risk of infection by Ebola virus in the Portuguese Speaking African Countries and also train for a general<br />improvement of health conditions of the local populations. In the PCS design are especially considered the social and cultural contexts of the target populations, especially the customs, traditions and religion. Health Communication is considered as an Essential Function of Public Health and its main is to provide a population-based approach. The target of communication actions are population groups in addition to the individual communication, target-audiences are people without access to the media, in Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe. Under the communication plan uses the methodology, models and practices both by media professionals as health. A proximity approach and cultural mediation, previously identified key facts, are defined objectives; outlines to the Plan in concrete and its implementation methodology (target-audience and following intervention, materials to be used and key-messages and partners to mobilize) following the World Health Organisation standards.

scholarly journals Virus genomes reveal the factors that spread and sustained the West African Ebola epidemic

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gytis Dudas ◽  
Luiz Max Carvalho ◽  
Trevor Bedford ◽  
Andrew J. Tatem ◽  
Guy Baele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
West African ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Viral Movement ◽  
History Of ◽  
Virus Genomes ◽  
History Of Migration ◽  
Entire Dataset

SummaryThe 2013-2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease in West Africa was of unprecedented magnitude, duration and impact. Extensive collaborative sequencing projects have produced a large collection of over 1600 Ebola virus genomes, representing over 5% of known cases, unmatched for any single human epidemic. In this comprehensive analysis of this entire dataset, we reconstruct in detail the history of migration, proliferation and decline of Ebola virus throughout the region. We test the association of geography, climate, administrative boundaries, demography and culture with viral movement among 56 administrative regions. Our results show that during the outbreak viral lineages moved according to a classic ‘gravity’ model, with more intense migration between larger and more proximate population centers. Notably, we find that despite a strong attenuation of international dispersal after border closures, localized cross-border transmission beforehand had already set the seeds for an international epidemic, rendering these measures relatively ineffective in curbing the epidemic. We use this empirical evidence to address why the epidemic did not spread into neighboring countries, showing that although these regions were susceptible to developing significant outbreaks, they were also at lower risk of viral introductions. Finally, viral genome sequence data uniquely reveals this large epidemic to be a heterogeneous and spatially dissociated collection of transmission clusters of varying size, duration and connectivity. These insights will help inform approaches to intervention in such epidemics in the future.

scholarly journals Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa: lessons learned and issues arising from West African countries

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Obinna O Oleribe ◽  
Babatunde L Salako ◽  
M Mourtalla Ka ◽  
Albert Akpalu ◽  
Mairi McConnochie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
West African ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
African Countries

scholarly journals Ebola 2014 - unprecedented epidemic / Ebola 2014 – epidemija bez presedana

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Darija Knežević ◽  
Duška Jović
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
World Health ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Imported Case ◽  
Health Organization

Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus strains. Starting from February 2014, the Ebola virus outbreak had spread across West African countries within a few months and caused great concerns of the World Health Organization. Currently there are no effective vaccines and drugs that are available for the prevention and treatment of infection with Ebola virus. Medical personnel caring for patients with suspect or confirmed Ebola viral disease is particularly exposed to the risk of suffering from this dangerous disease. It is important for frontline medical providers to understand key aspects of Ebola virus disease to quickly recognize an imported case, provide appropriate medical care, and prevent transmission. This paper gives a brief overview of the epidemics and pandemics, the biological characteristics of Ebola virus, the potential antiviral drugs and vaccines, as well as preventive measures.* 31 . July 2015, is said to have discovered an effective vaccine against Ebola virus http://www.thelancet.com/pb/assets/raw/Lancet/pdfs/S0140673615611175.pdf (note editor).

scholarly journals Preparing for Ebola Virus Disease in West African countries not yet affected: perspectives from Ghanaian health professionals

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaw Nyarko ◽  
Lewis Goldfrank ◽  
Gbenga Ogedegbe ◽  
Sari Soghoian ◽  
Ama de-Graft Aikins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
West African ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
African Countries
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