Ebola and other Epidemics, Inadequate Healthcare Threatens Millions

[Liep]

This is crazy, I cannot believe this is not on every headline around the world.  We are sure waking up slowly to this.  It is just amazing the extent this is allowed to go on unchecked. 

Isn't this just another horrible thing we're ignoring in Africa? Famine and war kills so many more each day and yet that never headlines anywhere.

[jimmy olsen]

This is crazy, I cannot believe this is not on every headline around the world.  We are sure waking up slowly to this.  It is just amazing the extent this is allowed to go on unchecked. 

Isn't this just another horrible thing we're ignoring in Africa? Famine and war kills so many more each day and yet that never headlines anywhere.

It's exponential increase that's the problem. We could have the impact of thirty years of HIV in one year. This is going to cause failed states and regional economic collapse.

[grumbler]

This is crazy, I cannot believe this is not on every headline around the world.  We are sure waking up slowly to this.  It is just amazing the extent this is allowed to go on unchecked.

One of the problems is the difficulty in seeing just what CAN be done.  However, I agree that it is odd, indeed, that there aren't more popular groups springing up for fundraising, volunteer mobilization, collecting materials, and whatnot.  You see that for famines that have this kind of scope for tragedy.  Is it possible that we have simple inured ourselves to tragedy in Africa? 

[Liep]

Is it possible that we have simple inured ourselves to tragedy in Africa? 

This is what I mean, the last positive story I heard out of Africa was about community farming, they were successful in educating the women instead of the men, which meant that the soil was actually attended to. They then showed pictures of farming women and men slovenly chewing khat in the shadow of a tree.

I agree  that this has the potential to become catastrophic, but there's still famine and HIV and what have you. People still remember that whole Kody affair too and coupled with stories of people raiding hospitals you just can't expect the west to mobilise before the really big numbers actually start ticking I'm.

[jimmy olsen]

Is it possible that we have simple inured ourselves to tragedy in Africa? 

you just can't expect the west to mobilise before the really big numbers actually start ticking I'm.

When the big numbers start rolling in nothing can be done. You'll have failed states, civil war, famine and refugees streaming into neighboring countries, bring the disease there. You have to stop these kinds of things at the start.

[grumbler]

Is it possible that we have simple inured ourselves to tragedy in Africa? 

you just can't expect the west to mobilise before the really big numbers actually start ticking I'm.

When the big numbers start rolling in nothing can be done. You'll have failed states, civil war, famine and refugees streaming into neighboring countries, bring the disease there. You have to stop these kinds of things at the start.

I think Liep is referring to popular mobilization, not stae and NGO mobilization, since he's replying to my query on popular mobilization.  I think he's probably put his finger on the issue.

[The Brain]

I am a bit concerned about this crap. Does the West have the balls to enforce a quarantine? Outlook, not so good.

[Eddie Teach]

Well, hey, as long as we live in a bubble and never touch anybody we're safe.

[derspiess]

You'll have failed states, civil war, famine and refugees streaming into neighboring countries, bring the disease there. You have to stop these kinds of things at the start.

Yes.  It would suck if that someday happened in Africa.

[Valmy]

You'll have failed states, civil war, famine and refugees streaming into neighboring countries, bring the disease there. You have to stop these kinds of things at the start.

Yes.  It would suck if that someday happened in Africa.

Yes.  Bad things are bad.  Weren't you supposed to be sleeping?

[Valmy]

I agree  that this has the potential to become catastrophic, but there's still famine and HIV and what have you. People still remember that whole Kody affair too and coupled with stories of people raiding hospitals you just can't expect the west to mobilise before the really big numbers actually start ticking I'm.

Is there nobody else in the world besides the west?  I thought we had a UN and all these NGOs to handle things like this.  But they blew it and soon this is going to be a problem that will burn enormous resources and lives to contain.  Would have been nice when all it required was a few beds and doctors for one of the organizations that are supposed to handle that take care of it.

[alfred russel]

I'm not certain "the West" / NGOs really have the capability to stop the "exponential growth" - assuming that is what is going to come to pass. The reasons this is an outbreak in West Africa -- poor sanitation, lack of access to and trust in medical care, inadequate medical facilities, lack of effective quarantine control, etc., can't be realistically fixed in short order.

[Valmy]

I'm not certain "the West" / NGOs really have the capability to stop the "exponential growth" - assuming that is what is going to come to pass. The reasons this is an outbreak in West Africa -- poor sanitation, lack of access to and trust in medical care, inadequate medical facilities, lack of effective quarantine control, etc., can't be realistically fixed in short order.

Well the horse is a bit out of the barn now.  Since this was coming months away it would have been nice if they had made an effort say in May or June or something.  When there were a small number of cases medical assistance would have been decisive.  But, you know, probably a lot cheaper to fight the epidemic now than wait until it leads to a major catastrophe costing us billions.  I do not get the 'this is hard now...so lets wait until it is much harder and far more expensive'.  What sense does that make 

[Liep]

I agree  that this has the potential to become catastrophic, but there's still famine and HIV and what have you. People still remember that whole Kody affair too and coupled with stories of people raiding hospitals you just can't expect the west to mobilise before the really big numbers actually start ticking I'm.

Is there nobody else in the world besides the west?

Depends on what you're asking.  If it's still why there aren't any headlines in the West which is what I responded to, then yes, there is only the West.

If not, then yes, there are NGOs, but they normally couldn't care less what headlines or not, they base their operations on what's needed as judged by professionals.

[jimmy olsen]

I agree  that this has the potential to become catastrophic, but there's still famine and HIV and what have you. People still remember that whole Kody affair too and coupled with stories of people raiding hospitals you just can't expect the west to mobilise before the really big numbers actually start ticking I'm.

Is there nobody else in the world besides the west?  I thought we had a UN and all these NGOs to handle things like this.  But they blew it and soon this is going to be a problem that will burn enormous resources and lives to contain.  Would have been nice when all it required was a few beds and doctors for one of the organizations that are supposed to handle that take care of it.

Doctors Without Borders has been giving it's all, but it just doesn't have the resources to supply the medical care needed for three nations of 20 million people.