![]() The fear associated with Ebola, a deadly disease that respects no borders or socioeconomic status, has captured the attention of the global health community ( Baden et al., 2014). In the absence of a vaccine or treatment for Ebola, the disease has alarmed the global public health community and caused panic among some segments of the population. The Ebola epidemic wreaking havoc in West Africa has led to a global ripple effect that has affected the United States and other Western countries. The disease, which caught health officials in the region off guard, was soon identified as the Ebola virus disease (EVD), a disease with a case fatality rate of 90% ( Heymann, 2015). In December 2013, a reported unknown contagious and lethal illness started with a young boy in Guéckédou, Guinea-a town well-known for the presence of West African traders from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Côte d'Ivoire. Public-private partnerships for investment in developing countries' health care systems that involve the international community are critical in addressing the current Ebola epidemic and future outbreaks. The Ebola epidemic in West Africa underscores the need for the overhaul and transformation of African health care systems to build the capacity in these countries to address infectious diseases. We identify individual, structural, and community challenges that must be addressed in an effort to reduce the spread of Ebola in West Africa. Articles in peer-reviewed journals on health system reforms in developing countries and periodicals of international organizations were used to gather the overview reported in this article. The purpose of this article is to examine the sociopolitical and economic conditions that created the environment for the Ebola epidemic to occur, identify challenges to and opportunities for the prevention and control of Ebola and future outbreaks, and discuss policy recommendations and priority areas for addressing the Ebola epidemic and future outbreaks in West Africa. ![]() The ongoing Ebola epidemic in West Africa has drawn attention to global health inequalities, in particular the inadequacies of health care systems in sub-Saharan African countries for appropriately managing and containing infectious diseases. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |