West
Africans Still Need More Resources to Fight Ebola
Even
though the Ebola outbreak is losing steam and the United States is in the
process of withdrawing all of the troops that were sent there to help fight the
dreadful and ghastly virus, the disease has left a devastating impact in West
Africa. It has also scarred West
Africans and their communities. Of
course, they have dealt with the Ebola disease for many decades, but this year’s
outbreak is the worst one they have ever experienced. A survivor of the disease, Josephine Dolley,
stated in an interview, “I feared I was not going to reach the age of 32
because I was infected with the virus. I
lost my three kids, my husband, and everyone in my family was dead because of
that one contamination of Ebola.” The
disease took the lives of 29 members of her family. That is how swift and deadly the outbreak has
impacted West Africa. Schools are now
starting to reopen after being closed from the fear of further exposure. However, West Africa remains in need of more
resources to completely end the Ebola outbreak.
Dr. Angela Dunn stated, “The meager treatment centers are not conveniently
located and are more like prisons than health care facilities.” She continued, “Contact tracing, or
identifying anyone with whom an infected person might have come in contact with
is the key to stopping the outbreak.”
Ebola
is still claiming lives despite the decrease in attention it is receiving by
the mainstream American media. The
disease is still a concern, especially with the looming risk of another
outbreak during the rainy season in a few months. Many people of West Africa have been
negatively affected and scarred by the disease.
I personally cannot imagine losing more than half of my family or being
the only survivor left among my entire family.
We should not give up on them. The
US as well as other countries should do what they can to assist West Africa
with providing resources and treatments to those that are impacted by the
horrendous Ebola disease.
Brandon Smith
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