Introduction
The Ebola virus disease became one of the main concerns for medical specialists and scientists around the world in 2014. Particularly, Ebola-affected West Africa, starting in the rural regions of Guinea and then spreading to urban areas, as well as beyond Africa (Jacob et al., 2020). Eventually, Ebola became a global epidemic, yet the effective work of doctors and epidemiologic experts helped to stop the further proliferation of the virus. Ebola was one of the key pandemics preceding the COVID-19 events, and it contributed to the preparation of professionals for similar scenarios in the future. Essentially, the Ebola outbreak impacted numerous institutions, including health care and education, and only humanitarian relief efforts adhering to the African populations’ values was sufficient to contain the disease.
Basic Information
First of all, it is essential to present information on the cause and magnitude of the situation. Although the outbreak occurred in 2014, the Ebola virus was discovered in the 1970s. Ebola is caused by viruses belonging to the genus Ebolavirus, and it is a zoonosis which means that it is transmitted from animals to humans, yet the exact way how it occurs is unknown. How this transmission occurs at the onset of an outbreak in humans is unknown. At the same time, in 2014, most transmissions were between family members, in fact, over 70% of them. Specifically, people got infected with Ebola when they came into contact with the bodies of individuals who died from Ebola. Although Ebola was not as common as COVID-19, it still significantly impacted populations in West Africa. By 2016, Ebola morbidity in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leon reached more than 28,000 cases, while the mortality rate was set at approximately 50% (Kamorudeen et al., 2020). At the same time, in the case of previous outbreaks, the mortality rate ranged from 25% to 90%.
Impact on Institutions
The Ebola pandemic became a major disrupting factor for multiple institutions in West Africa. For instance, the spreading of the virus resulted in the death of healthcare workers, and Liberia alone, their number dropped by more than 8% due to the disease (Smith, 2021). The sphere of health care had to adjust to the new circumstances and design new ways to protect the workers, including through the use of hazmat suits. Additionally, the Ebola epidemic caused many schools to shut down in West Africa, schools were closed for over seven months, which resulted in more than 486 lost learning hours (Smith, 2021). The economic crisis which ensued after the outbreak of Ebola contributed to the rise of crime in West Africa, which negatively impacted the justice system. Similarly, Ebola brought along a drop in the employment rate causing people to suffer economic consequences of the lack of jobs. At the same time, there are no studies available on the topic of Ebola’s impact on voting and the military in West Africa. Yet, it is possible to assume that some military personnel of the country also died of Ebola.
Relief Efforts
The humanitarian relief efforts which were used to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa were timely and effective. As mentioned above, the total number of deaths did not surpass twelve thousand cases which is a considerable achievement compared to the death toll inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the medical specialists managed to prevent a major spreading of the disease outside West Africa. Although there were cases of Ebola on other continents, they were largely isolated, and major transmission was stopped (Subissi et al., 2018). To contain the spreading of Ebola, healthcare extensively utilized practices that incorporated the values and communication styles of the West African populations. For instance, people often contracted Ebola during funerals which involved close contact with the deceased. Scientists and medical workers persuaded cultural leaders in rural communities to reorganize mourning and burial proceedings (Baseler et al., 2017). Essentially, the medical specialists did not force their procedures on the affected populations and instead relied on a culturally sensitive communication style. Such an intervention enabled healthcare workers to avoid having conflict situations with the local populations and prevented resistance on their part.
How Interventions Could Be Adapted
The practices utilized by medical workers during the Ebola outbreak in 2014 can be adapted to address similar situations in the future. The primary method used by the specialist, which involved establishing contact with cultural leaders and explaining to them the need to undertake the necessary precautions, can be applied in other scenarios. For instance, such a tactic could be used during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in some cases, it was implemented. Specifically, medical institutions could contact influencers and other celebrities, such as notable artists and actors, to record videos explaining the benefits of vaccination and social distancing to their audiences. People are more willing to listen to the individuals whom they respect. Additionally, the extensive use of hazmat suits by medical workers during Ebola was one of the most effective ways to avoid contracting the disease (Subissi et al., 2018). The same practice should have been more common during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, yet the lack of such products on the market largely contributed to the quick spreading of the virus among the healthcare staff.
Disaster Management and My Career
Personally, in the future, I want to participate in disaster management myself and help people in difficult situations to recover from the consequences. Primarily, I would like to work in remote areas affected by pandemics or outbreaks of viruses. The work of the medical staff during the Ebola and COVID-19 pandemics inspired me to offer my support to people in need. It makes me genuinely happy knowing that I can save individuals from death by applying my knowledge and skills. Thus, I try to study all of the relevant research on the topic of pandemics and medical interventions that can be applied during them. The experience of the specialists who worked on addressing the Ebola pandemic in West Africa is invaluable and must be used more extensively, and I will do my part by spreading the knowledge to others.
Conclusion
The Ebola virus outbreak in 2014 became a major concern for countries in West Africa and claimed the lives of more than ten thousand people. At the same time, the efforts of medical workers helped to contain the spreading of the disease and prevent a global pandemic. Additionally, the work of healthcare professionals in rural communities successfully replaced dangerous practices of the local populations, which also stopped the growth of cases. Nevertheless, the Ebola outbreak still considerably impacted different areas, primarily the spheres of health care and education.
References
Baseler, L., Chertow, D. S., Johnson, K. M., Feldmann, H., & Morens, D. M. (2017). The pathogenesis of Ebola virus disease. Annual Review of Pathology, 12, 387–418. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-052016-100506
Jacob, S. T., Crozier, I., Fischer, W. A., Hewlett, A., Kraft, C. S., Vega, M. A., Soka, M. J., Wahl, V., Griffiths, A., Bollinger, L., & Kuhn, J. H. (2020). Ebola virus disease. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 6(1), 13–17.
Kamorudeen, R. T., Adedokun, K. A., & Olarinmoye, A. O. (2020). Ebola outbreak in West Africa, 2014 – 2016: Epidemic timeline, differential diagnoses, determining factors, and lessons for future response. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 13(7), 956–962. DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2020.03.014
Smith, W. (2021). Consequences of school closure on access to education: Lessons from the 2013–2016 Ebola pandemic. International Review of Education, 67, 53–78.
Subissi, L., Keita, M., Mesfin, S., Rezza, G., Diallo, B., Van Gucht, S., Musa, E. O., Yoti, Z., Keita, S., Djingarey, M. H., Diallo, A. B., & Fall, I. S. (2018). Ebola virus transmission caused by persistently infected survivors of the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa. The Journal of infectious diseases, 218, 287–291. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy280