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CHAPTER 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY

1.1 Background to the study

Since the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease which were reported in West Africa in

March 2014 various countries has taken precaution to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

According to the World Health Organisation about 15,119 cases of Ebola has been suspected

and confirmed within West Africa alone. (WHO, 2014).

The epidemic is disrupting the development progress achieved since the restoration of

peace and democracy in the three most-affected countries. As of 10 December, almost 18,000

people had been infected and more than 6,400 had already died. Health services in Guinea,

Liberia and Sierra Leone were not well equipped to fight the disease and the crisis is now

completely outstripping their ability to stem its spread.

Some specific features in the three countries have made Ebola particularly difficult to

control. Lack of medical personnel and beds in Ebola Treatment Units, the complexity of

identifying active cases and contacts, and the slowness of the response have all contributed to

the seriousness of this health crisis. Doctors were unfamiliar with the disease, and because its

symptoms resemble those of other ailments, early diagnosis and effective prevention were

slow to begin.

Common practices, including communal hand washing, the tradition of caring for sick

relatives, and the washing and dressing of dead bodies in preparation for burials, also

contributed to the spread of the virus. Overly centralized health systems impaired the

engagement of local communities, which is so critical to fighting epidemics such as this one.

A lack of trust in government further impeded cooperation, leading people to question the

very existence of the virus.

The international community is now mobilized to help the affected countries stop the

epidemic, treat the sick and prevent further outbreaks. There has been a noticeable change in

perceptions and behaviors, and many communities have assumed the responsibility to cope

with it, contributing to a significant decrease in new cases in some areas. Large sums,

equipment and personnel have been rushed to these epicenter countries by the international

community.

Yet, the battle is far from over and more resources will be required to bring it to an

end. Communities have to own the struggle at the local level. Governments must lead

effective, well-coordinated programmes to stop the epidemic all the way down to the district

level, with support from the international community, including bilateral partners,

multilateral agencies led by the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response

(UNMEER), and other stakeholders.

Fear has compounded this crisis. Women are giving birth without modern medical

attendants because they fear going to clinics; use of birth control has plummeted; HIV testing

has practically stopped, and routine checkups and immunizations have ground to a halt. An

increase in avoidable deaths and a resurgence in numerous different types of ailments may

follow. Fear also is eroding social ties, as family and communal celebrations are postponed,

and even cured Ebola patients are shunned by their families and communities.

Fear is also exacerbating the impact of the epidemic, leading to the closure of schools

and businesses and slowing down planting and harvesting. The closure of borders and efforts

by shipping companies to limit exposure to the disease are reducing external trade. Some

workers are dying, others are fleeing infected areas, and quarantines and travel restrictions are preventing people from going to work. Official estimates, which are roughly consistent

with simulations based on econometric modelling, indicate that the epidemic may be

reducing growth in the three countries by between 3 to 6 percent this year. Moreover,

uncertainty over the epidemic’s duration and economic impact has brought investment to a

halt, reducing the prospects for growth in future years even if the virus is rapidly contained.

Finally, in the midst of the crisis, we must not lose sight of these countries’ desperate

need to re-set development, but on a more sustainable path. Evidence from this study shows

that an increase in quality spending in health and development projects is a critical path to

recovery. Governments and donors are understandably eager to devote as many resources as

possible to containing the epidemic. But attention must still be given to how these economies

can best recover and again achieve improvements in human welfare, once the disease has

been contained. UNDP, in collaboration with UNMEER, is working with national and

international partners to contain the disease and help the affected countries recover.

Strengthening health systems, and addressing the structural vulnerabilities that

allowed Ebola to take hold in the first place will help to ensure such a crisis may never

happen again. (UNDP, Regional Director, 2014).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

West African countries are often characterised as less developed countries, this is due to

the high rate of poverty, high dependency rate, low per-capita income and high level of

corruption among other factors. Inadequacy of medical facilities and safety gargets has been a

major challenge for African countries in the fight of the Ebola virus, also availability of

skilled doctors to threat Ebola patients has also posed a great problem for West African countries, due to this, and the death toll is on high. Most West African countries are left with

no choice but to rely heavy on the aid of the so called external actors for assistance in the

fight against Ebola, but the responses given to west African countries might be said to be a bit

slower and not as effective as expected, reason being that Africa is seen as another world on

its own, and often then to leave Africa at their faith when crisis such as these happen. WHO,

which should have led the international response, has experienced severe budget deficits and

drastically cut its workforce and programs, including its capacity for rapid response to the

Ebola crisis. More than 5 months after the virus began its spread, greater emphasis was

finally placed on the development of vaccines and drug therapies, On August 11th, WHO

approved the compassionate use of experimental drugs, the drug was initially administered to

two US aid workers, and reportedly to a Spanish priest. It was later given to a British nurse as

well, but these drugs didn’t get into West Africa until around late October 2014 reportedly on

a ―first come, first served‖ basis, but the initial preference given to white foreign workers

fueled a sense of deep injustice. While administering an unproven drug to African patients

conjures up images of unconscionable human experimentation, the failure to meaningfully

consult local communities and leaders is a moral failure.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

The broad objective of this study is to examine the response of the

international response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa and also:

i to examine the nature of the Ebola crisis in West Africa

ii to identify and discuss the role and challenges of the external actors towards the Ebola crisis in West Africa

iii to identify the effectiveness of the international response towards the Ebola crisis in West Africa

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i What is Ebola crisis?

ii What are the roles and challenges of the external actors towards the Ebola crisis in West Africa?

iii To what extent have the roles of external actors towards the Ebola Crisis been effective in West Africa?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

Bearing in mind the current situation of the spread of Ebola disease in the world, the

high rate of death and dented diplomatic relations among states West Africa in particular,

there is the need to examine the response of the international actors on the Ebola crisis in

West Africa. This research also serves as a wakeup call to reduce the reliance on external

actors for help in times of crisis, other solutions such as locally made medicine and

improvement in our health facilities should also be considered.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF STUDY

The temporal scope of this study encompasses the international response to the outbreak

of the ebola crisis in West Africa from 2014 till date. The spatial scope includes the affected

countries in West Africa, although much emphasis is placed on Nigeria where the ebola virus disease broke out last year (2014)

The main limitation of this study is the inability to gain access to individuals who

have been directly affected or fallen victim of the ebola virus disease. This is because of the

contagious factor of the disease which is terribly risky.

1.7 ORGANIZATION OF STUDY

This research work is structured into five chapters. Chapter one includes introduction

to the study, statement of the problem, objectives of study research questions, significance of

study, scope and limitation of study, organization of study and definition of terms. Chapter

two focused on the conceptual clarification and theoretical frame work. Chapter three

examined research methodology. Chapter four is devoted to data analysis, and includes the

analysis of secondary data while Chapter five covers the findings, conclusion and

recommendation.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

CRISIS

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary crisis is defined as an unstable or

crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending. Based on this

research more attention is going to be paid on health crisis. Health Crisis is a difficult

situation or complex health system that affects humans in one or more geographic areas, from

a particular locality to encompass the entire planet.

EBOLA

A notoriously deadly virus that causes fearsome symptoms, the most prominent being

high fever and massive internal bleeding. Ebola virus kills as many as 90% of the people it

infects. It is one of the viruses that are capable of causing hemorrhagic (bloody) fever.

Ebola virus is transmitted by contact with blood, faeces, or body fluids from an

infected person or by direct contact with the virus, as in a laboratory. People can be exposed

to Ebola virus from direct contact with the blood or secretions of an infected person. This is

why the virus has often been spread through the families and friends of infected persons: in

the course of feeding, holding, or otherwise caring for them, family members and friends

would come into close contact with such secretions. People can also be exposed to Ebola

virus through contact with objects, such as needles, that have been contaminated with

infected secretions.

The incubation period –the period between contact with the virus and the appearance

of symptoms — ranges from 2 to 21 days.

EXTERNAL ACTORS

United Nations (UN), world health organization (WHO), U.S. Agency for

International Development (USAID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

NGOs, ministries of health and multilateral organizations and Ebola treatment units (ETU).

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