WASHINGTON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - It is impossible to guess
whether world leaders have done enough to bring the Ebola...
epidemic under control, given the risks that it will spread to countries beyond West Africa,
the technology billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates said on Monday.
whether world leaders have done enough to bring the Ebola...
epidemic under control, given the risks that it will spread to countries beyond West Africa,
the technology billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates said on Monday.
Countries should get ready to handle a possible outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic
fever in case it spreads further as people from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea
move across borders, Gates said at a breakfast meeting sponsored by the newspaper
Politico and Bank of America.
fever in case it spreads further as people from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea
move across borders, Gates said at a breakfast meeting sponsored by the newspaper
Politico and Bank of America.
“Because of that uncertainty, I am not going to hazard a guess,” Gates said when
asked whether he thinks the massive ramping up of international aid over the past
few weeks is enough.
asked whether he thinks the massive ramping up of international aid over the past
few weeks is enough.
The World Bank already has started working with countries on developing plans
should the highly infectious disease spread.
should the highly infectious disease spread.
The lesson so far is that countries with strong primary healthcare systems already
in place are well positioned to halt the march of Ebola, as Nigeria and Senegal
have demonstrated in their quick response to cases there, Gates said.
in place are well positioned to halt the march of Ebola, as Nigeria and Senegal
have demonstrated in their quick response to cases there, Gates said.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funneled extra money in July
and August towards Nigeria and pledged an additional $50 million on Sept. 10
to fight the epidemic, which so far has infected over 6,000 people mostly in Liberia,
Sierra Leone and Guinea.
and August towards Nigeria and pledged an additional $50 million on Sept. 10
to fight the epidemic, which so far has infected over 6,000 people mostly in Liberia,
Sierra Leone and Guinea.
The World Health Organization warns the infection rate probably is three times
that number and could reach 20,000 by November. The death rate is over 50 percent.
that number and could reach 20,000 by November. The death rate is over 50 percent.
To contain the epidemic, the United States on Sept. 16 announced
the deployment of 3,000 military engineers and medical personnel
to build 17 treatment clinics and train healthcareworkers, mostly in Liberia,
at a cost of about $1 billion.
the deployment of 3,000 military engineers and medical personnel
to build 17 treatment clinics and train healthcareworkers, mostly in Liberia,
at a cost of about $1 billion.
The United Kingdom and France also are increasing their assistance and the
United Nationshas stepped forward to coordinate the international effort.
United Nationshas stepped forward to coordinate the international effort.
PRIMARY HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS CRITICAL
The Gates Foundation has deep expertise in fighting infectious diseases,
especially malaria, HIV/Aids, polio and tuberculosis, and has invested billions
of dollars in developing countries over the past decade.
Gates said those efforts have produced tangible results, such as reducing
preventable child deaths by half since 1990 and putting the eradication
of polio now within grasp.
especially malaria, HIV/Aids, polio and tuberculosis, and has invested billions
of dollars in developing countries over the past decade.
Gates said those efforts have produced tangible results, such as reducing
preventable child deaths by half since 1990 and putting the eradication
of polio now within grasp.
A byproduct of these disease-specific investments has been the development
of a skilled cadre of primary healthcare experts, who can respond quickly
to other types of disease outbreaks, he said.
of a skilled cadre of primary healthcare experts, who can respond quickly
to other types of disease outbreaks, he said.
In Nigeria, for example, there is a strong infrastructure of clinics in place
from polio vaccine programs. This enabled the country to respond quickly
and contain the small number of Ebola cases in Lagos and Port Harcourt
that were carried by an infected doctor who traveled there from Liberia.
from polio vaccine programs. This enabled the country to respond quickly
and contain the small number of Ebola cases in Lagos and Port Harcourt
that were carried by an infected doctor who traveled there from Liberia.
Rwanda and Ethiopia also have built up strong primary healthcare systems,
partly in conjunction with targeted aid programs such as child
and maternal healthcare, Gates said.
partly in conjunction with targeted aid programs such as child
and maternal healthcare, Gates said.
In contrast, Liberia and Sierra Leone, still recovering from brutal civil wars
that left their healthcare systems underfunded, rely heavily on clinics
and hospitals run by a network of charities and non-profit groups.
Their governments lacked a depth of institutional expertise in healthcare,
Gates said.
that left their healthcare systems underfunded, rely heavily on clinics
and hospitals run by a network of charities and non-profit groups.
Their governments lacked a depth of institutional expertise in healthcare,
Gates said.
“If we had had that, this epidemic would have been caught faster,” he said.
Building a healthcare structure in the three countries worst hit by
Ebola is critical, otherwise deaths from preventable diseases will quickly
outpace those from Ebola, Gates said.
Ebola is critical, otherwise deaths from preventable diseases will quickly
outpace those from Ebola, Gates said.
If mothers are afraid to get professional assistance in delivering their
babies for fear of contracting Ebola and children cannot get malaria treatments,
the long-term impact of the epidemic will be far more damaging, he said
babies for fear of contracting Ebola and children cannot get malaria treatments,
the long-term impact of the epidemic will be far more damaging, he said
"That will be very tragic, and it won't get the type of attention that Ebola
is getting," Gates said.
is getting," Gates said.
He estimated that it will take 20 years of donor investment in some African
countries to build resilient healthcare systems able to control preventable
diseases and manage health crises.
countries to build resilient healthcare systems able to control preventable
diseases and manage health crises.
(Reporting by Stella Dawson; Editing by Lisa Anderson)
http://uk.reuters.com
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http://uk.reuters.com/news/health
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