This paper is about the challenges and problems of the Ebola virus outbreak in Africa in 2014 until 2016.
The public health response faced multiple problems and challenges. Over the time, multiple scientists dealt with the topic and published several papers and studies. Today, the knowledge we have received through the outbreak can be used to handle future outbreaks properly.
The outbreak of the Ebola disease in West Africa between 2014 and 2016 was the biggest outbreak of the Ebola virus. Outbreaks of diseases are a danger to states and residents. Their treatment requires special trained and skilled staff, mostly expensive programs and quick intervention due to a possible lack of time. In our modern time, public health and crisis managers must be able to manage complicated situations, they need to face problems like organisational chaos, stress and inaccurate information with the pressure of social and other media in their backs.
Table of Contents
1. Abstract
2. Background
3. Search strategy
4. Discussion
4.1 The issue of management and responsibility
4.2 The issue of Shekels
4.3 The issue with superstition and education
4.4 The issues with future outbreaks
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this literature review is to analyze the organizational, social, and financial challenges encountered during the 2014–2016 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, evaluating the international response and identifying lessons for future public health crises.
- The impact of international management and responsibility on epidemic control.
- Financial management, corruption, and resource allocation in outbreak settings.
- The influence of cultural factors, superstition, and education on public health compliance.
- Assessment of international aid and the effectiveness of global health security strategies.
Excerpt from the Book
The issue of management and responsibility
The first phase missed the intervention of international public health response. At the beginning, the outbreak was managed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Médecins Sans Frontièrs (MSF) from Switzerland. Due to the missing of health care workers from different countries, only a small number of workers worked in the West African regions in the beginning of the outbreak. MSF handled 85% of all Ebola cases in the first five months (9). Only a few workers could supply health due to the lack of an international response. The WHO calculated, that one health care worker was responsible for 5319 patients, while the recommendation is 439 people per one health worker (10). The president of MSF, Joanne Liu, described the situation in the affected regions as a disaster. Health care workers are died in “shocking numbers” or “fled in fear”. According to the MSF, the international response was very bad (11). The missing of international intervention led the epidemic increased and the country’s health facilities paralysed. That was followed by the collapse of different health care and medical actions like a decreased number of vaccinations, the stop of malaria prevention programs. Hospitals were not able to take care about pregnant women and newborn children as well (12).
Summary of Chapters
Abstract: Provides a high-level overview of the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak and emphasizes the necessity of utilizing acquired knowledge to improve future response efforts.
Background: Examines the general characteristics of viral outbreaks and specific historical details regarding the emergence of the Ebola virus, including its transmission vectors and initial discovery.
Search strategy: Outlines the systematic approach used to gather data, including the use of medical databases like PubMed and supplementary news sources to ensure a comprehensive analysis.
Discussion: Offers a critical analysis of the outbreak divided into four thematic segments: organizational management, financial hurdles, social/cultural impacts, and the challenges associated with future outbreaks.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, highlighting the critical need for early international intervention, financial integrity, and community engagement to mitigate the severity of future epidemics.
Keywords
Ebola virus, West Africa, public health management, humanitarian crisis, international response, Médecins Sans Frontières, health systems, epidemic, virus transmission, quarantine, superstition, education, corruption, global health security, vaccination.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this publication?
The work provides a literature review focusing on the challenges faced during the major 2014–2016 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, specifically analyzing public health management and international involvement.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The main themes include management and responsibility, financial challenges (specifically corruption), the impact of local superstition on healthcare compliance, and strategies for future outbreak prevention.
What is the main objective of the research?
The primary goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of the international response to the Ebola epidemic and to identify specific management problems that hindered the containment of the virus.
Which scientific methodology was employed?
The author utilized a qualitative literature review, analyzing existing scientific papers, journal articles, and international reports retrieved from databases such as PubMed, supplemented by contemporary news media.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section investigates the lack of early international intervention, financial issues like embezzlement, cultural conflicts regarding burial practices, and the role of military and aid organizations.
How would you describe the main keywords?
Key terms include Ebola virus, public health management, humanitarian crisis, international response, and global health security.
Why was the international response during the first phase considered inadequate?
The response was characterized by a severe lack of international health care workers, with MSF handling the vast majority of cases alone, leading to a ratio of over 5,000 patients per health worker in some areas.
What role did superstition play in the spread of the virus?
Superstition led to the stigmatization of healthcare workers and resistance to necessary quarantine measures, as local beliefs clashed with medical protocols regarding body contact and funeral rites.
How did financial issues affect the outbreak management?
Beyond the cost of intervention, corruption—such as the embezzlement of funds meant for the Red Cross—severely hampered the ability to effectively manage the crisis and maintain public trust.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Hans van´t Cris (Autor:in), 2019, The challenges and problems of the Ebola virus outbreak in Africa 2014 – 2016, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1161611
