To what extent should political situations make concessions to public health emergencies? Vice versa?
This article from OCHA Services provides an overview of the topic of this post.
With the initial outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) starting in August of 2018, the disease has plagued the region for sometime. The Ebola outbreak in the DRC peaked in May of 2019, reporting more than 120 new cases per week, and has seen a decline since then.
On March 4, 2020 the Democratic Republic of the Congo discharged its last Ebola patient (Semida Masika) in Beni. This is an important milestone of the outbreak though WHO is continually monitoring the situation, waiting a 42 day incubation period for any more cases as well as expressing going concerns such as lack of funding. The Ebola outbreak is still considered a Public Health Emergency but the discharge of the last patient in the DRC signifies a beginning to the end of the epidemic.
As of now, there have not been any new reported cases of Ebola in the region. Though this may be due to conflict in the Congo making the tracking of cases difficult. The Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamic militia considered a terrorist group by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, launched an attack on the city of Beni which the Congolese government has counterattacked in October of 2019. In February there have been a resurgence of attacks by the Allied Democratic forces that have made it harder for health officials to monitor the possible spread of Ebola. A Washington Post article mentions these concerns:
Harris, the WHO spokeswoman, said that while officials were confident in asserting only one chain of Ebola transmission remains, ongoing violence has made it impossible to reach some areas that have had cases over the past few months.
“Given the lack of access in some areas like Lwemba, it’s possible that there are other areas where there could be cases that we are not aware of, but it’s unlikely,” she said.
Other diseases affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo such as measles and the global COVID-19 pandemic introduce other concerns the nation turns focus on now that the Ebola outbreak has de-escalated.
In my opinion, the government's response to a health concern in its population should determine the actual danger of the health problem, and organize their response very logically; making sure not to be too extreme or too relaxed about the crisis.
ReplyDeleteHowever, when there are factors, such as those terrorists in the Congo, which prevent proper treatment from taking place, it is important for the government to resolve them with haste, for the betterment of their citizens
In my opinion, health concerns have to be affecting most of the population including some from each "political groups" in order for them to make compromises. In the case of DRC, it is clear that, right now, terrorism and war is still happening inside the country even though the presence of a lot of diseases: Ebola, Measles, COVID-19, etc. I believe that this fighting will still continue within the country, due to none of the party "making concessions" regarding political situations. However, if these illness would worsen in the country, the fighting might halt; the people would actually work together in hopes of the greater good of the country. It is also possible that some group might use this as leverage, and try to take control of everything while everyone is "weak."
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, health concerns have to be affecting most of the population including some from each "political groups" in order for them to make compromises. In the case of DRC, it is clear that, right now, terrorism and war is still happening inside the country even though the presence of a lot of diseases: Ebola, Measles, COVID-19, etc. I believe that this fighting will still continue within the country, due to none of the party "making concessions" regarding political situations. However, if these illness would worsen in the country, the fighting might halt; the people would actually work together in hopes of the greater good of the country. It is also possible that some group might use this as leverage, and try to take control of everything while everyone is "weak."
ReplyDeleteJohnny H Per:5
In my opinion, health concerns have to be affecting most of the population including some from each "political groups" in order for them to make compromises. In the case of DRC, it is clear that, right now, terrorism and war is still happening inside the country even though the presence of a lot of diseases: Ebola, Measles, COVID-19, etc. I believe that this fighting will still continue within the country, due to none of the party "making concessions" regarding political situations. However, if these illness would worsen in the country, the fighting might halt; the people would actually work together in hopes of the greater good of the country. It is also possible that some group might use this as leverage, and try to take control of everything while everyone is "weak."
ReplyDeleteJohnny H Per:5
In my opinion, health concerns have to be affecting most of the population including some from each "political groups" in order for them to make compromises. In the case of DRC, it is clear that, right now, terrorism and war is still happening inside the country even though the presence of a lot of diseases: Ebola, Measles, COVID-19, etc. I believe that this fighting will still continue within the country, due to none of the party "making concessions" regarding political situations. However, if these illness would worsen in the country, the fighting might halt; the people would actually work together in hopes of the greater good of the country. It is also possible that some group might use this as leverage, and try to take control of everything while everyone is "weak."
ReplyDeleteJohnny H Per:3