William R Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336214
- eISBN:
- 9780199868537
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336214.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
Over the past two decades, an enormous effort has been mounted by numerous federal and state agencies to prepare America to defend against the possibility of a catastrophic bioterrorist attack. This ...
More
Over the past two decades, an enormous effort has been mounted by numerous federal and state agencies to prepare America to defend against the possibility of a catastrophic bioterrorist attack. This effort jumped ahead at warp speed following the horrendous World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks of September, 2001, followed by the postal anthrax scares a few weeks later that killed five people. By the end of 2008, the US will have spent nearly fifty billion dollars upgrading almost every conceivable aspect of our ability to respond defensively to a bioterrorism attack. How likely is it that America will experience a future bioterrorist attack that could bring this country to its knees? What would it take to mount such an attack? Who could do it, and what weapons would they use? How would bioterrorism compare with the damage America would suffer from other forms of terrorism, or from a natural biocatastrophe like avian influenza? No nation has infinite resources, and we must accept that we may never be able to make ourselves completely safe from every threat we face. We will have to make rational assessments of those threats we can identify, and apportion our resources as intelligently as we can to deal with them. This book looks at the scientific, political, legal and social facets of bioterrorism that can guide us as we attempt to bring this particular threat into a realistic perspective for the 21st century.Less
Over the past two decades, an enormous effort has been mounted by numerous federal and state agencies to prepare America to defend against the possibility of a catastrophic bioterrorist attack. This effort jumped ahead at warp speed following the horrendous World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks of September, 2001, followed by the postal anthrax scares a few weeks later that killed five people. By the end of 2008, the US will have spent nearly fifty billion dollars upgrading almost every conceivable aspect of our ability to respond defensively to a bioterrorism attack. How likely is it that America will experience a future bioterrorist attack that could bring this country to its knees? What would it take to mount such an attack? Who could do it, and what weapons would they use? How would bioterrorism compare with the damage America would suffer from other forms of terrorism, or from a natural biocatastrophe like avian influenza? No nation has infinite resources, and we must accept that we may never be able to make ourselves completely safe from every threat we face. We will have to make rational assessments of those threats we can identify, and apportion our resources as intelligently as we can to deal with them. This book looks at the scientific, political, legal and social facets of bioterrorism that can guide us as we attempt to bring this particular threat into a realistic perspective for the 21st century.
William R. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336214
- eISBN:
- 9780199868537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336214.003.0003
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has defined a list of human pathogens that are of highest concern for possible use as bioweapons. These agents, most of which had been developed as ...
More
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has defined a list of human pathogens that are of highest concern for possible use as bioweapons. These agents, most of which had been developed as agents for biological warfare, are described in this chapter. The diseases caused by these agents are now quite rare, and the experience of medical and public health personnel in dealing with them is limited. The course of diseases resulting from various means of exposure are described, along with what is known of the ability of humans to respond to and recover from them. In most cases, adeqaute vaccines do not exist, and only a few effective drugs are available.Less
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has defined a list of human pathogens that are of highest concern for possible use as bioweapons. These agents, most of which had been developed as agents for biological warfare, are described in this chapter. The diseases caused by these agents are now quite rare, and the experience of medical and public health personnel in dealing with them is limited. The course of diseases resulting from various means of exposure are described, along with what is known of the ability of humans to respond to and recover from them. In most cases, adeqaute vaccines do not exist, and only a few effective drugs are available.
William R. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336634
- eISBN:
- 9780199868568
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336634.003.0014
- Subject:
- Biology, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
During the first 48–72 hours of a bioterrorist attack using pathogenic microbes, the immune system will be our primary means of defense against potentially fatal disease. This chapter looks at the ...
More
During the first 48–72 hours of a bioterrorist attack using pathogenic microbes, the immune system will be our primary means of defense against potentially fatal disease. This chapter looks at the pathogens identified by the CDC as most likely to be used as bioweapons — anthrax, plague, smallpox, botulin toxin, tularemia, and Ebola-like viruses — and what is known of the human immune response to them. Progress in enhancing our ability to deal with these pathogens is also discussed, in particular strategies that go beyond standard vaccines.Less
During the first 48–72 hours of a bioterrorist attack using pathogenic microbes, the immune system will be our primary means of defense against potentially fatal disease. This chapter looks at the pathogens identified by the CDC as most likely to be used as bioweapons — anthrax, plague, smallpox, botulin toxin, tularemia, and Ebola-like viruses — and what is known of the human immune response to them. Progress in enhancing our ability to deal with these pathogens is also discussed, in particular strategies that go beyond standard vaccines.
Ricard Solé and Santiago F. Elena
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780691158846
- eISBN:
- 9780691185118
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691158846.003.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter presents an introduction to viruses. Viruses have played a major role not only in evolutionary history but also in recent history. They have shaped human genomes and physiological ...
More
This chapter presents an introduction to viruses. Viruses have played a major role not only in evolutionary history but also in recent history. They have shaped human genomes and physiological features, they can be deadly or good, and they can change so fast and affect so many cellular pathways that mounting evidence supports a picture of evolution largely dependent on the driving force provided by these entities. Some viruses' names have become popular in the media because of their terrifying impact through deadly pandemic events. Among them are the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and the Ebola virus (EBOV). The remainder of the chapter discusses the expanding viral universe, structural and genetic diversity of viruses, and growth in the importance and understanding of ecological and evolutionary impact of viruses over the last century.Less
This chapter presents an introduction to viruses. Viruses have played a major role not only in evolutionary history but also in recent history. They have shaped human genomes and physiological features, they can be deadly or good, and they can change so fast and affect so many cellular pathways that mounting evidence supports a picture of evolution largely dependent on the driving force provided by these entities. Some viruses' names have become popular in the media because of their terrifying impact through deadly pandemic events. Among them are the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and the Ebola virus (EBOV). The remainder of the chapter discusses the expanding viral universe, structural and genetic diversity of viruses, and growth in the importance and understanding of ecological and evolutionary impact of viruses over the last century.
George Kararach, Hany Besada, and Timothy Shaw
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781447328537
- eISBN:
- 9781447328551
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447328537.003.0014
- Subject:
- Political Science, Public Policy
There are dangers of over-simplification when discussing the development challenges and opportunities facing a continent as vast as Africa at a given point in time! Africa is made up of 54 disparate ...
More
There are dangers of over-simplification when discussing the development challenges and opportunities facing a continent as vast as Africa at a given point in time! Africa is made up of 54 disparate countries in five regions, and is not a single monolithic whole. The 2014 Ebola crisis in three countries in West Africa once again revealed the tendency of those outside the continent to classify it as a distinct entity. Despite the frequent allusion to a new “Scramble for Africa”, the continent is planning, managing and starting to finance its own destiny, as it attempts to reclaim the twenty-first century. After 2015 Africa anticipates a future that is not just fraught with challenges but also with opportunities. Africa’s vision for the future as it looks beyond the MDGs has been endorsed by Heads of States in the name of Agenda 2063, forming the core element for shaping development conversations for the next 50 years or so.Less
There are dangers of over-simplification when discussing the development challenges and opportunities facing a continent as vast as Africa at a given point in time! Africa is made up of 54 disparate countries in five regions, and is not a single monolithic whole. The 2014 Ebola crisis in three countries in West Africa once again revealed the tendency of those outside the continent to classify it as a distinct entity. Despite the frequent allusion to a new “Scramble for Africa”, the continent is planning, managing and starting to finance its own destiny, as it attempts to reclaim the twenty-first century. After 2015 Africa anticipates a future that is not just fraught with challenges but also with opportunities. Africa’s vision for the future as it looks beyond the MDGs has been endorsed by Heads of States in the name of Agenda 2063, forming the core element for shaping development conversations for the next 50 years or so.
Sam F. Halabi, Lawrence O. Gostin, and Jeffrey S. Crowley (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- October 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190604882
- eISBN:
- 9780190604912
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190604882.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Public Health
The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa shocked the world as the disease spread rapidly from its origin to neighboring countries, Europe, and North America while the systems in place to ...
More
The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa shocked the world as the disease spread rapidly from its origin to neighboring countries, Europe, and North America while the systems in place to handle such an epidemic failed. The United Nations, the World Health Organization, and major international humanitarian organizations scrambled to respond as thousands died and infections spiraled out of control. All are now contemplating: What went wrong, and how do we stop it from happening again? Global Management of Infectious Disease After Ebola is the first and most comprehensive volume to address these questions. It brings together the analyses and retrospectives of diplomats, scholars, and advocates studying from afar, as well as those of physicians and front-line responders who witnessed the epidemic sweep through already poor, devastated countries as their nascent health systems collapsed. The volume assesses not only the global response to Ebola but also current and emerging infectious disease threats, changes in the global system to handle them, and the critical ethics and human rights issues that will shape the next episode in the perpetual struggle against infectious disease.Less
The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa shocked the world as the disease spread rapidly from its origin to neighboring countries, Europe, and North America while the systems in place to handle such an epidemic failed. The United Nations, the World Health Organization, and major international humanitarian organizations scrambled to respond as thousands died and infections spiraled out of control. All are now contemplating: What went wrong, and how do we stop it from happening again? Global Management of Infectious Disease After Ebola is the first and most comprehensive volume to address these questions. It brings together the analyses and retrospectives of diplomats, scholars, and advocates studying from afar, as well as those of physicians and front-line responders who witnessed the epidemic sweep through already poor, devastated countries as their nascent health systems collapsed. The volume assesses not only the global response to Ebola but also current and emerging infectious disease threats, changes in the global system to handle them, and the critical ethics and human rights issues that will shape the next episode in the perpetual struggle against infectious disease.
Michiel Hofman and Sokhieng Au (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- February 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190624477
- eISBN:
- 9780190624507
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190624477.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
Although Ebola and similar hemorrhagic fevers have occurred in the past, both the numbers and geographic spread of the 2014-15 West African Ebola epidemic were unprecedented. Ebola and the associated ...
More
Although Ebola and similar hemorrhagic fevers have occurred in the past, both the numbers and geographic spread of the 2014-15 West African Ebola epidemic were unprecedented. Ebola and the associated risks drove an improvised, sometimes ineffective, response from political and medical authorities. Fear, rather than rational planning, drove many decisions made at population and leadership levels. Institutions, practices, economies, and governments were all deeply affected by the demands engendered by this emergency. Ultimately, the epidemic revealed serious fault lines at all levels in the theories and practices of global public health. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), as the major provider of medical care to the afflicted, was deeply entangled in many of these issues. From difficult choices made for the care of individual patients to the impact of Ebola on entire health systems, the common thread in each chapter is how fear influenced the political and medical response. Using materials from the MSF archives, this book explores this theme in ten chapters and four eyewitness vignettes. The book examines the epidemic from the perspectives of a wide range of actors from distinct sectors, including a bioethicist, a political scientist, a historian, clinical doctors, policymakers, and anthropologists.Less
Although Ebola and similar hemorrhagic fevers have occurred in the past, both the numbers and geographic spread of the 2014-15 West African Ebola epidemic were unprecedented. Ebola and the associated risks drove an improvised, sometimes ineffective, response from political and medical authorities. Fear, rather than rational planning, drove many decisions made at population and leadership levels. Institutions, practices, economies, and governments were all deeply affected by the demands engendered by this emergency. Ultimately, the epidemic revealed serious fault lines at all levels in the theories and practices of global public health. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), as the major provider of medical care to the afflicted, was deeply entangled in many of these issues. From difficult choices made for the care of individual patients to the impact of Ebola on entire health systems, the common thread in each chapter is how fear influenced the political and medical response. Using materials from the MSF archives, this book explores this theme in ten chapters and four eyewitness vignettes. The book examines the epidemic from the perspectives of a wide range of actors from distinct sectors, including a bioethicist, a political scientist, a historian, clinical doctors, policymakers, and anthropologists.
Jeremy Youde
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198813057
- eISBN:
- 9780191851049
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198813057.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
In the 1980s, health was a marginal issue on the international political agenda, and it barely figured into donor states’ foreign aid allocation. Within a generation, health had developed a robust ...
More
In the 1980s, health was a marginal issue on the international political agenda, and it barely figured into donor states’ foreign aid allocation. Within a generation, health had developed a robust set of governance structures that drove significant global political action, incorporated a wide range of actors, and received increasing levels of funding. What explains this dramatic change over such a short period of time? Drawing on the English School of international relations theory, this book argues that global health has emerged as a secondary institution within international society. Rather than being a side issue, global health now occupies an important role. Addressing global health issues—financially, organizationally, and politically—is part of how actors demonstrate their willingness and ability to help realize their moral responsibility and obligation to others. In this way, it demonstrates how global health governance has emerged, grown, and persisted—even in the face of global economic challenges and inadequate responses to particular health crises. The argument also shows how English School conceptions of international society would benefit from expanding their analytical gaze to address international economic issues and incorporate non-state actors. The book begins by building a case for using the English School to understand the role of global health governance before looking at global health governance’s place in international society through case studies about the growth of development assistance for health, the international response to the Ebola outbreak, and China’s role within the global health governance framework.Less
In the 1980s, health was a marginal issue on the international political agenda, and it barely figured into donor states’ foreign aid allocation. Within a generation, health had developed a robust set of governance structures that drove significant global political action, incorporated a wide range of actors, and received increasing levels of funding. What explains this dramatic change over such a short period of time? Drawing on the English School of international relations theory, this book argues that global health has emerged as a secondary institution within international society. Rather than being a side issue, global health now occupies an important role. Addressing global health issues—financially, organizationally, and politically—is part of how actors demonstrate their willingness and ability to help realize their moral responsibility and obligation to others. In this way, it demonstrates how global health governance has emerged, grown, and persisted—even in the face of global economic challenges and inadequate responses to particular health crises. The argument also shows how English School conceptions of international society would benefit from expanding their analytical gaze to address international economic issues and incorporate non-state actors. The book begins by building a case for using the English School to understand the role of global health governance before looking at global health governance’s place in international society through case studies about the growth of development assistance for health, the international response to the Ebola outbreak, and China’s role within the global health governance framework.
Prince Lahai and Patricia Carrick
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- February 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190624477
- eISBN:
- 9780190624507
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190624477.003.0007
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This story of an encounter with a remarkable young man, Prince, during a small incident in an Ebola treatment center provides a window to the lived experience of Ebola caregivers, patients, and ...
More
This story of an encounter with a remarkable young man, Prince, during a small incident in an Ebola treatment center provides a window to the lived experience of Ebola caregivers, patients, and survivors. In the Ebola ward, as anywhere else, the living, both the patients and the caregivers, had to go about the business of normal daily life with all its boring routine while they dealt with the fear of crisis and the unexpected. With the high rate of healthcare worker infection, some healthcare workers were not just caregivers but also patients and, for the fortunate, survivors. As Prince’s story reveals, many survivors still grapple with the discomforts of post-Ebola syndrome, social stigma, and the struggle for survival that is life for so many in a resource-poor nation. Prince and others like him continue to conduct themselves with professional integrity and commitment, dignity, and determination.Less
This story of an encounter with a remarkable young man, Prince, during a small incident in an Ebola treatment center provides a window to the lived experience of Ebola caregivers, patients, and survivors. In the Ebola ward, as anywhere else, the living, both the patients and the caregivers, had to go about the business of normal daily life with all its boring routine while they dealt with the fear of crisis and the unexpected. With the high rate of healthcare worker infection, some healthcare workers were not just caregivers but also patients and, for the fortunate, survivors. As Prince’s story reveals, many survivors still grapple with the discomforts of post-Ebola syndrome, social stigma, and the struggle for survival that is life for so many in a resource-poor nation. Prince and others like him continue to conduct themselves with professional integrity and commitment, dignity, and determination.
John D. Kraemer and Mark J. Siedner
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- October 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190604882
- eISBN:
- 9780190604912
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190604882.003.0003
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Public Health
In chapter 3, John D. Kraemer and J. Mark Siedner map the effect of the Ebola epidemic on health outcomes and systems in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The chapter provides a comprehensive review ...
More
In chapter 3, John D. Kraemer and J. Mark Siedner map the effect of the Ebola epidemic on health outcomes and systems in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The chapter provides a comprehensive review of existing literature to assess how Ebola caused short- and long-term harm to health that exceeded the direct consequences for those infected. The authors assess the capacity of the already weak healthcare sectors in the three most afflicted countries prior to the outbreak, how redirection of resources to the outbreak compromised critical gains in individual and population health, and what may be expected in the near to long-term as those healthcare systems recover. The chapter identifies opportunities for building stronger, more resilient health systems, focusing on measures that would improve outcomes during both routine and emergency situations.Less
In chapter 3, John D. Kraemer and J. Mark Siedner map the effect of the Ebola epidemic on health outcomes and systems in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The chapter provides a comprehensive review of existing literature to assess how Ebola caused short- and long-term harm to health that exceeded the direct consequences for those infected. The authors assess the capacity of the already weak healthcare sectors in the three most afflicted countries prior to the outbreak, how redirection of resources to the outbreak compromised critical gains in individual and population health, and what may be expected in the near to long-term as those healthcare systems recover. The chapter identifies opportunities for building stronger, more resilient health systems, focusing on measures that would improve outcomes during both routine and emergency situations.
Iruka N. Okeke
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801449413
- eISBN:
- 9780801460906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801449413.003.0006
- Subject:
- Sociology, Health, Illness, and Medicine
This chapter considers viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Africa. The best known African viral hemorrhagic fevers are yellow fever, Marburg, and Ebola. Viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks are ...
More
This chapter considers viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Africa. The best known African viral hemorrhagic fevers are yellow fever, Marburg, and Ebola. Viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks are promoted by the prevalent mode of medical practice in which etiology is only of interest when a cure fails, and not always even then. Because of the challenges associated with infection control and patient diagnosis, in typical African hemorrhagic fever epidemics the death toll is high and the spread throughout the hospital has already begun before the cause of the outbreak is known or even suspected. As Africans move deeper into forests, and improved travel networks allow individuals to move from the heart of the forest to a city with international connections in just a few hours, contact with wildlife and the risk of contracting and spreading Lassa, Ebola, Marburg, and as yet unknown zoonotic infections will continue to rise. It is essential to focus diagnostic support and research in countries where the diseases occur in nature.Less
This chapter considers viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Africa. The best known African viral hemorrhagic fevers are yellow fever, Marburg, and Ebola. Viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks are promoted by the prevalent mode of medical practice in which etiology is only of interest when a cure fails, and not always even then. Because of the challenges associated with infection control and patient diagnosis, in typical African hemorrhagic fever epidemics the death toll is high and the spread throughout the hospital has already begun before the cause of the outbreak is known or even suspected. As Africans move deeper into forests, and improved travel networks allow individuals to move from the heart of the forest to a city with international connections in just a few hours, contact with wildlife and the risk of contracting and spreading Lassa, Ebola, Marburg, and as yet unknown zoonotic infections will continue to rise. It is essential to focus diagnostic support and research in countries where the diseases occur in nature.
Thomas Kratz
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- February 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190624477
- eISBN:
- 9780190624507
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190624477.003.0005
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
On May 26, 2014, it was acknowledged that the Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic had swept over to Sierra Leone, although several indices imply that EVD infections were more likely to be present much ...
More
On May 26, 2014, it was acknowledged that the Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic had swept over to Sierra Leone, although several indices imply that EVD infections were more likely to be present much earlier. This chapter was written by one of the first international doctors to answer this first call for aid in May. He describes the situation on the ground, including the challenges of providing medical care for patients suffering from EVD in Sierra Leone’s Kailahun district. He also discusses difficulties in epidemiological surveillance and laboratory diagnostics. He compares this early period of the epidemic to his experience nine months later in Guinea, when a multitude of governmental and nongovernmental actors were present, facilitating and complicating things at the same time.Less
On May 26, 2014, it was acknowledged that the Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic had swept over to Sierra Leone, although several indices imply that EVD infections were more likely to be present much earlier. This chapter was written by one of the first international doctors to answer this first call for aid in May. He describes the situation on the ground, including the challenges of providing medical care for patients suffering from EVD in Sierra Leone’s Kailahun district. He also discusses difficulties in epidemiological surveillance and laboratory diagnostics. He compares this early period of the epidemic to his experience nine months later in Guinea, when a multitude of governmental and nongovernmental actors were present, facilitating and complicating things at the same time.
Maud Santantonio
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- February 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190624477
- eISBN:
- 9780190624507
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190624477.003.0014
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
In early February 2015, the author prepared to leave for her second Ebola mission, this time at an Ebola treatment center in Conakry, the capital of Guinea. During the two-month mission she ...
More
In early February 2015, the author prepared to leave for her second Ebola mission, this time at an Ebola treatment center in Conakry, the capital of Guinea. During the two-month mission she discovered that the Ebola epidemic created havoc not only by leaving sickness and death in its wake, but also by its perversity. When it seemed to be in decline, new flare-ups would spring up to extend its life. The author recalls a storm of anger and sadness from one bereaved family in a particular violent episode. This made the absurd cruelty of Ebola even more apparent for her.Less
In early February 2015, the author prepared to leave for her second Ebola mission, this time at an Ebola treatment center in Conakry, the capital of Guinea. During the two-month mission she discovered that the Ebola epidemic created havoc not only by leaving sickness and death in its wake, but also by its perversity. When it seemed to be in decline, new flare-ups would spring up to extend its life. The author recalls a storm of anger and sadness from one bereaved family in a particular violent episode. This made the absurd cruelty of Ebola even more apparent for her.
Patricia Illingworth and Wendy E. Parmet
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780814789216
- eISBN:
- 9780814760826
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814789216.003.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Medical Law
The 2015 Ebola epidemic, as well as the global migration crisis, bring to light the connection many people make between loathsome disease and strangers. Myths about newcomers and disease have long ...
More
The 2015 Ebola epidemic, as well as the global migration crisis, bring to light the connection many people make between loathsome disease and strangers. Myths about newcomers and disease have long informed both immigration policy and health policy. This book focuses on the latter and reviews basic demographics about migrants and their health, dispelling the myths that have thus far informed health policy. The book argues that health should be understood as a global public good and that understanding it as such has important moral and practical implications that ought to be taken into account as health policy is developed. This introduction provides a chapter-by-chapter outline of the book.Less
The 2015 Ebola epidemic, as well as the global migration crisis, bring to light the connection many people make between loathsome disease and strangers. Myths about newcomers and disease have long informed both immigration policy and health policy. This book focuses on the latter and reviews basic demographics about migrants and their health, dispelling the myths that have thus far informed health policy. The book argues that health should be understood as a global public good and that understanding it as such has important moral and practical implications that ought to be taken into account as health policy is developed. This introduction provides a chapter-by-chapter outline of the book.
Patricia Illingworth and Wendy E. Parmet
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780814789216
- eISBN:
- 9780814760826
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814789216.003.0003
- Subject:
- Law, Medical Law
Humans have long blamed immigrants and outsiders for epidemics. This perceived association between newcomers and disease has led many nations to impose health-related immigration controls that screen ...
More
Humans have long blamed immigrants and outsiders for epidemics. This perceived association between newcomers and disease has led many nations to impose health-related immigration controls that screen newcomers for disease and disability and deny entry to many newcomers on health and disability-related grounds. In the United States, quarantine and other such policies began in the nineteenth century, and were long influenced by both racism and eugenics; more recently, many nations around the globe have imposed travel bans, barring entry by people who are HIV positive. Nations also perpetuate disability discrimination, excluding immigrants with a range of disabilities on the theory that they will be unproductive and costly to taxpayers. These health- and disability-related immigration exclusions fail to protect public health and reinforce stigma and discrimination against immigrants and natives with disabilities.Less
Humans have long blamed immigrants and outsiders for epidemics. This perceived association between newcomers and disease has led many nations to impose health-related immigration controls that screen newcomers for disease and disability and deny entry to many newcomers on health and disability-related grounds. In the United States, quarantine and other such policies began in the nineteenth century, and were long influenced by both racism and eugenics; more recently, many nations around the globe have imposed travel bans, barring entry by people who are HIV positive. Nations also perpetuate disability discrimination, excluding immigrants with a range of disabilities on the theory that they will be unproductive and costly to taxpayers. These health- and disability-related immigration exclusions fail to protect public health and reinforce stigma and discrimination against immigrants and natives with disabilities.
Patricia Illingworth and Wendy E. Parmet
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780814789216
- eISBN:
- 9780814760826
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814789216.003.0010
- Subject:
- Law, Medical Law
For the sake of argument, this chapter accepts that nations have the right to control their borders; nonetheless, it shows that arguments that limit immigrants’ access to health care are ...
More
For the sake of argument, this chapter accepts that nations have the right to control their borders; nonetheless, it shows that arguments that limit immigrants’ access to health care are weak—tautological and lacking explanatory power. The argument that only people who have consented to citizenship should benefit from the system cannot be supported normatively. Others argue that undocumented immigrants have violated the law and should not benefit from the violation. It is difficult to distinguish among the legal status of many immigrants and it is not clear why access to health care should depend on whether one has broken a law: people break many laws and are not thereby denied health care. Chapter 9 argues that there are good moral and practical reasons to act in solidarity with newcomers, regardless of their legal status or the size of the migrant population, and it draws on the Ebola epidemic and global migrant crisis in making this argument.Less
For the sake of argument, this chapter accepts that nations have the right to control their borders; nonetheless, it shows that arguments that limit immigrants’ access to health care are weak—tautological and lacking explanatory power. The argument that only people who have consented to citizenship should benefit from the system cannot be supported normatively. Others argue that undocumented immigrants have violated the law and should not benefit from the violation. It is difficult to distinguish among the legal status of many immigrants and it is not clear why access to health care should depend on whether one has broken a law: people break many laws and are not thereby denied health care. Chapter 9 argues that there are good moral and practical reasons to act in solidarity with newcomers, regardless of their legal status or the size of the migrant population, and it draws on the Ebola epidemic and global migrant crisis in making this argument.
Patricia Illingworth and Wendy E. Parmet
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780814789216
- eISBN:
- 9780814760826
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814789216.003.0011
- Subject:
- Law, Medical Law
Using the 2015 Ebola epidemic and the global migrant crisis as examples, this chapter suggests that following a period of norm change, there is reason to be optimistic about the potential for ...
More
Using the 2015 Ebola epidemic and the global migrant crisis as examples, this chapter suggests that following a period of norm change, there is reason to be optimistic about the potential for solidarity between newcomers and natives for the sake of health. In health our shared humanity and vulnerability are evident. The Ebola epidemic in 2014 illustrates both how a slow global response to the disease resulted in the deaths of over 11,000 people and how a willingness on the part of nations and individuals to act in solidarity with the victims of Ebola brought an end to the epidemic. Responses to the recent global migration crisis, including a mix of public and private sponsorship of refugees in Canada, are also examined in this chapter. This chapter suggests policy recommendations to ensure that newcomers have their health needs met and indicates that equal access to health care for newcomers and natives is critical and will be facilitated by cultural competency and nonexclusionary health policy.Less
Using the 2015 Ebola epidemic and the global migrant crisis as examples, this chapter suggests that following a period of norm change, there is reason to be optimistic about the potential for solidarity between newcomers and natives for the sake of health. In health our shared humanity and vulnerability are evident. The Ebola epidemic in 2014 illustrates both how a slow global response to the disease resulted in the deaths of over 11,000 people and how a willingness on the part of nations and individuals to act in solidarity with the victims of Ebola brought an end to the epidemic. Responses to the recent global migration crisis, including a mix of public and private sponsorship of refugees in Canada, are also examined in this chapter. This chapter suggests policy recommendations to ensure that newcomers have their health needs met and indicates that equal access to health care for newcomers and natives is critical and will be facilitated by cultural competency and nonexclusionary health policy.
Mariane C. Ferme
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780520294370
- eISBN:
- 9780520967526
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520294370.003.0012
- Subject:
- Anthropology, African Cultural Anthropology
This chapter returns to a theme first advanced in the introduction of the overlap between the West African region affected by the 2014–2016 Ebola crisis and the region affected by the 1991–2002 civil ...
More
This chapter returns to a theme first advanced in the introduction of the overlap between the West African region affected by the 2014–2016 Ebola crisis and the region affected by the 1991–2002 civil war to argue that the humanitarian intervention followed symmetrical practices of securitization of the national landscape, checkpoints, blockades, and a politics that tended to contain the population in urban households and rural villages. For the global community, the Ebola emergency was the more critical than the war because of the speed with which the disease could circulate beyond original boundaries of transmission. But for Sierra Leonean communities that experienced both realities, the war continues to be remembered as the most horrific and critical experience of emergency in recent decades.Less
This chapter returns to a theme first advanced in the introduction of the overlap between the West African region affected by the 2014–2016 Ebola crisis and the region affected by the 1991–2002 civil war to argue that the humanitarian intervention followed symmetrical practices of securitization of the national landscape, checkpoints, blockades, and a politics that tended to contain the population in urban households and rural villages. For the global community, the Ebola emergency was the more critical than the war because of the speed with which the disease could circulate beyond original boundaries of transmission. But for Sierra Leonean communities that experienced both realities, the war continues to be remembered as the most horrific and critical experience of emergency in recent decades.
Meike de Goede and Inge Ligtvoet
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781447337683
- eISBN:
- 9781447337737
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447337683.003.0012
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Research and Statistics
This chapter focuses on the impact of flows of information through information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the decision-making processes for researchers working in instable, volatile ...
More
This chapter focuses on the impact of flows of information through information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the decision-making processes for researchers working in instable, volatile regions. Drawing on the authors’ experiences in Nigeria and Congo-Brazzaville, the paper argues that while ICTs have become important tools for research, they also create new dilemmas for the researcher. These dilemmas emerge from the interface between us as researchers, and constant flows of information about insecurity in our fields that reach us via social media. Paradoxically, in an information rich world, a lack of information can also create such dilemmas. Flows of information – or the lack thereof – are not only data, but also affect us on an emotional level. As such new subjective fields of insecurity emerge for the researcher that produce emotional responses such as anger or disorientation, and that in turn inform decision-making processes, such as an inclination for deeper engagement, or to disengage.Less
This chapter focuses on the impact of flows of information through information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the decision-making processes for researchers working in instable, volatile regions. Drawing on the authors’ experiences in Nigeria and Congo-Brazzaville, the paper argues that while ICTs have become important tools for research, they also create new dilemmas for the researcher. These dilemmas emerge from the interface between us as researchers, and constant flows of information about insecurity in our fields that reach us via social media. Paradoxically, in an information rich world, a lack of information can also create such dilemmas. Flows of information – or the lack thereof – are not only data, but also affect us on an emotional level. As such new subjective fields of insecurity emerge for the researcher that produce emotional responses such as anger or disorientation, and that in turn inform decision-making processes, such as an inclination for deeper engagement, or to disengage.
Anthony S. Fauci
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- October 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190604882
- eISBN:
- 9780190604912
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190604882.003.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Public Health
In chapter 1, Anthony S. Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, US National Institutes of Health, provides an overview of the complex challenges that led the ...
More
In chapter 1, Anthony S. Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, US National Institutes of Health, provides an overview of the complex challenges that led the Ebola outbreak to go relatively undetected and, even after it was better understood, to cause problems for the global response. He attributes the rapid spread of the disease to a “perfect storm” of converging and compounding factors: poor countries with histories of conflict, political unrest, and resultant mistrust of government; densely populated cities; severely limited healthcare infrastructure; and long-standing cultural practices that enhanced the potential for contact with infectious bodily fluids. The chapter then assesses the factors facilitating the spread of Ebola from Guinea to Liberia and Sierra Leone, and then elsewhere. The chapter concludes by analyzing the lessons the outbreak teaches about management of the inevitable future emergences of infectious diseases.Less
In chapter 1, Anthony S. Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, US National Institutes of Health, provides an overview of the complex challenges that led the Ebola outbreak to go relatively undetected and, even after it was better understood, to cause problems for the global response. He attributes the rapid spread of the disease to a “perfect storm” of converging and compounding factors: poor countries with histories of conflict, political unrest, and resultant mistrust of government; densely populated cities; severely limited healthcare infrastructure; and long-standing cultural practices that enhanced the potential for contact with infectious bodily fluids. The chapter then assesses the factors facilitating the spread of Ebola from Guinea to Liberia and Sierra Leone, and then elsewhere. The chapter concludes by analyzing the lessons the outbreak teaches about management of the inevitable future emergences of infectious diseases.
