Ebola, health systems and justice in West Africa

(Vatican Radio) ‘Ebola, health systems and justice in West Africa’ was the title of a conference held on Tuesday at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Ebola has been documented in Africa for at least the last forty years.  The most recent outbreak was the first major outbreak in West Africa and was not confined to isolated communities.  The outbreak of Ebola shut down health services in the affected countries and many more people died from preventable illnesses than Ebola itself.

Michael Cornell interviewed three key presenters at the conference:

1. Msgr Robert J. Vitillo from Caritas Internationalis and is Head of Delegation to the United Nations in Geneva and Special Advisor on HIV/AIDS and Health.
2. Dr Klemens Ochel MPH from the Medical Mission Institute Würzburg spoke of his experience in Africa and how the Medical Mission Institute Würzburg responded.
3. Fr Jacquineau Azetsop SJ from the Pontifical Gregorian University, spoke of the sociological situation present in the affected communities.

Ebola Outbreak

The latest outbreak is the worst the world has ever seen, 5 times more people have died so far and Ebola is still a threat in the region.  Recently Liberia has been declared free of Ebola, but Guinea and Sierra Leone are not so fortunate.  The latest outbreak crippled the existing health care systems forcing hospitals and clinics to close as medical staff succumbed to the virus and fear began to spread.  The Health Minister of Liberia told Msgr. Vitillo that more people were dying from treatable incidents such as vehicle accidents and appendacitis, because the hospitals were closed.