Ebola Outbreak Too Big For the WHO to Handle

The U.N. health agency - the World Health Organization (WHO) - has its hands tied by a tight budget and its funders' political and economic agendas. So the WHO ignored the Ebola epidemic in West Africa until Doctors Without Borders (MSF)kicked up a major stink in the international media - in March, MSF insisted the epidemic was out of control and they couldn't handle the situation. After which the WHO started helping out - but by that time, it was too late. Now, West Africa's Ebola epidemic is the biggest on record with almost 1000 cases and 613 deaths in 3 countries. Surrounding nations are on high alert. It's an unstudied new Ebola strain but authorities still blame "local cultural practices" for the disease's spread. However, compared to other Ebola outbreaks this epidemic has a huge geographic spread spanning three countries at least, including major hubs and capital cities. And the WHO says it's gotten too big for them to handle.

The prevailing wisdom on Ebola says it kills too efficiently to become a 'real' problem - but this new strain has a 60% fatality rate compared to 90% - symptoms might not appear for up to 3 weeks after exposure - and the virus stays active in survivors' semen (at least) for over 2 months after symptoms appear. Even so, authorities still insist Ebola is unlikely to spread out of Africa.

As it happens, the WHO focused on vector-borne diseases for World Health Day just as the West African Ebola epidemic was unfolding. Chronic diseases caused by environmental contaminants were not on the list of global health priorities because acknowledging the links between environment and disease, and identifying (the obvious) solutions, would interfere with corporations' "right to profit." Hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola were not on the list either - because supposedly, they killed too efficiently to spread far and burned out quickly. Not much profit potential there. And besides, the environmental links to Ebola were a bit ...uncomfortable (Ebola and other hemorrhagic fevers are clearly linked to deforestation for mining, agriculture, etc.). So under pressure from corporate-controlled nation funders, seems the WHO was forced to prioritize diseases that promised to generate big profits and NOT interfere with profit-seeking. Big mistake.

Now what?

Is there a future for a world health agency controlled by nations controlled by global corporations? Is there any point?

OFFICIAL: EBOLA OUTBREAK TOO BIG FOR U.N. HEALTH AGENCY

'In my view, there's no way that WHO can respond in a way that we need it to'

(Los Angeles Times) International health officials warned Thursday that recent budget cuts have impeded the ability of the World Health Organization to respond to the Ebola outbreak that has killed at least 603 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

“The situation in West Africa should be a wake-up call to recognize that this weakening of this institution on which we all depend is not in anybody’s interest,” Scott Dowell, director of disease detection and emergency response at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a briefing in Washington. “In my view, there’s no way that WHO can respond in a way that we need it to.”

Partly because of declining donations from member countries during the global recession, the United Nations-backed WHO has suffered a 12% drop in its program budget in the last two years. This year’s budget is $3.98 billion.

WHO can't fully deal with Ebola outbreak, health official warns

ALSO NOTE:

We Are Making Ebola Outbreaks Worse by Cutting Down Forests

H ow deforestation shares the blame for the Ebola epidemic

Deforestation leads to Ebola

How to prevent the next Ebola outbreak

This outbreak appears to have been caused by a new strain of the Ebola virus. The initial response was slow, in part because medical professionals were not expecting to see Ebola-infected individuals in a region previously unaffected. In addition, the initial victims did not have the classic symptoms of this hemorrhagic fever...

...Strong scientific evidence points to the fruit bat as the host species for the Ebola virus. Human activities that increase exposure to fruit bats increase the risk of Ebola outbreaks. The worst activities include widespread deforestation...

....Environmental destruction and widespread deforestation seem to constitute a common thread in causing of emergence of many of the deadliest viruses known to humanity. Some of the world’s highest rates of deforestation have occurred in West Africa; the Guinea rainforest has shrunk to one-fifth of its former size. Liberia and Sierra Leone are also threatened by massive forest-clearing operations. Deadly viruses such as Ebola and Nipah emerge in human populations after widespread deforestation destroys the habitats of fruit bats...

CORRECTION: Original text wrongly stated the WHO's strategy focused on blood-borne diseases - in fact, the World Health Day campaign focused on vector-borne diseases. Ebola is not recognized to be vector-borne.

World Health Day 2014 Focused on Vector-Borne Diseases

This year's World Health Day was a campaign to raise awareness about the threat of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue. The goals of World Health Day 2014 were to:

Provide communities with information on how to protect themselves against vector-borne diseases
Target families living in areas where diseases are commonly transmitted by vectors
Urge ministries of health to implement measures to improve the protection of their population
Promote improved integrated surveillance in countries where vector-borne diseases are a threat.

S&F ive heard cases where it has spread beyond what people believe. a reply to: soficrow

a reply to: soficrow

The activities of humans--personal relationships between humans--is the cause of the spread of this disease. It is easy--in a way--to blame "corporations" for the spread, but cultural and social practices seem to be at the very cause for the spread of the contagion. While that obvious fact has been pointed out to some extent, but it is not politically correct in some views.

originally posted by: Aliensun
a reply to: soficrow

....personal relationships between humans--is the cause of the spread of this disease. It is easy--in a way--to blame "corporations" for the spread, but cultural and social practices seem to be at the very cause for the spread of the contagion. While that obvious fact has been pointed out to some extent, but it is not politically correct in some views.

Your "obvious fact" is just a marketing point in a damage-control corporate communications strategy. Nothing more. The situation is FAR more complex than such an oversimplification admits.

originally posted by: ATF1886
S&F ive heard cases where it has spread beyond what people believe.

What have you heard? Where?


PS. Thanks.

a reply to: Aliensun

PS. RE: "personal relationships between humans--is the cause of the spread of this disease"

I am really bloody fed up with all the "blame the victims" campaigns. Personal relationships between individuals aka "personal lifestyle" constitutes ONE single factor in a multitude of factors that are absolutely beyond individual control.

youtu.be...

Textwww.intellihub.com...

a reply to: soficrow

I mean, deforestation isn't going away anytime soon. We're also approaching the end of the limits for synthetic antibacterials.

A global pandemic that wipes out however many millions is inevitable, but I don't see it happening from this virus (though it very well could).

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
I mean, deforestation isn't going away anytime soon. We're also approaching the end of the limits for synthetic antibacterials.

A global pandemic that wipes out however many millions is inevitable, but I don't see it happening from this virus (though it very well could).

Im more worried about the DB that took H1N1 which was already a supervirus and took away human immune ability away now that keeps me up at night...

a reply to: ATF1886

Curious, what is DB? H1N1 is not in itself a "supervirus", it's in regular circulation after the "swine flu". It was rather mild compared to previous H1N1 strains. This whole plane downing in the Ukraine has reminded me of the plane downing over the Ukraine in late 2009 when the swine flu was breaking. They caught a nasty variant of the swine flu there, but it was contained.

We definitely don't know yet what we are facing here.......Its gonna take a lot more resources than the PTB are willing to throw at it to get it under control.....To me,.......and this is a personal intuitive statement, it seems as if the western and eastern power blocks want to de populate the African continent as much as possible.....

originally posted by: Aliensun
a reply to: soficrow

The activities of humans--personal relationships between humans--is the cause of the spread of this disease. It is easy--in a way--to blame "corporations" for the spread, but cultural and social practices seem to be at the very cause for the spread of the contagion. While that obvious fact has been pointed out to some extent, but it is not politically correct in some views.

There's a whole chain of events:

1. Corporations start tearing down jungle for timber and mineral resources

2. Workers get into contact with bats and other critters either through eating or capture.

3. Workers get some "entertainment" with prostitutes.

It would still happen even without #3. #2 only happens because of #1. So it's obviously the need for #1

a reply to: ATF1886

Thank you. Despite the fact health officials in Canada and the US insisted that the viruses were not actually Ebola, but only “Ebola-like” viruses, both patients came from the Ebola epidemic region, so...

...many ...wonder if (these are) true Ebola case that (are) being downplayed by health officials.

Plus, don't forget symptoms can take up to 3 weeks to appear - and even when they do, symptoms for this strain are not "typical" for Ebola.


S&

a reply to: stormcell

Corporations aren't the only ones who tear down forests. Ever hear of slash and burn farming? That's not corporate. That's just people eeking out a living on marginal land, but it has the same effect.

a reply to: ATF1886

There is tens of millions who gained immunity to the "swine flu" over a ten month period, and only 12 thousand who perished. Nobody had to do anything for it to mutate. It's called nature. It was weak.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: stormcell

Corporations aren't the only ones who tear down forests. Ever hear of slash and burn farming? That's not corporate. That's just people eeking out a living on marginal land, but it has the same effect.

Small farmers aren't all that common in Africa - and even if they were, the kind of deforestation we're talking about takes HUGE machines and major money.


THIS...


COMPARED TO THIS:

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
a reply to: ATF1886

There is tens of millions who gained immunity to the "swine flu" over a ten month period, and only 12 thousand who perished....

Hmm. What are your sources? Mine say the death toll in the US was over 12,000 and maybe over 1/2 million worldwide.

From 12 April 2009 to 10 April 2010, we estimate that approximately 60.8 million cases (range: 43.3-89.3 million), 274,304 hospitalizations (195,086-402,719), and 12,469 deaths (8868-18,306) occurred in the United States due to pH1N1.

...an estimated range of deaths from between 151,700 and 575,400 people who perished worldwide from 2009 H1N1 virus infection during the first year the virus circulated. A disproportionate number of deaths occurred in Southeast Asia and Africa, where access to prevention and treatment resources are more likely to be limited.

a reply to: soficrow

The same source as yours. We have the same figure. 12k range. The CDC estimates more than 81 million were infected, and gained immunity, if I'm recalling correctly. I'm sure you're aware that millions die each year of seasonal flu worldwide. It was a bump, then a non-issue.

That's what... less than .02% fatality rate? Pfff

Your source says 60.8 million infected. Still about .02%

a reply to: soficrow

So the WHO ignored the Ebola epidemic in West Africa until Doctors Without Borders (MSF)kicked up a major stink in the international media -

Since last year I have added to all birthday and other presents a donation to Doctors Without Borders. They will send a card or e-card to recipients and it is great for teaching the kids about helping others. I also have been sending donations which buy public wells with pumps and they will send a card to whoever you bought the gift for.