IN MARCH 2014 the intrepid (brave in the face of danger) doctors of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) sounded an alarm. They were struggling to contain an outbreak of Ebola in Guinea,a destitute and violent west African state. The Ebola virus causes a terrifying disease: a fever sometimes followed by massive internal and external bleeding. It is contagious, via body fluids, or frequently fatal. Yet no one paid much attention to MSF’s warning,and by June the epidemic had spread to 60 places in three countries. It was not until August that year that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an international health emergency. The delay allowed Ebola to rage out of control, killing 11000 people in six countries and leaving 17000 children without one or both of their parents. Only after the epidemic had peaked did the world pay heed. Some governments panicked, or imposing flight bans on all travellers from affected countries. This prompted many to go by road,where they were harder to track.
Global public-health authorities...
Continue reading
Source: economist.com