Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Published : September 5, 2014 11:26 AM IST
DOLO TOWN, LIBERIA - AUGUST 24: Church members pray as the pastor speaks about the Ebola epidemic during a Sunday service at his church on August 24, 2014 in Dolo Town, Liberia. Members of the Bethlehem World Outreach Ministry International prayed for Liberia's healthcare workers, who have become some of the Ebola epidemic's most frequent casualties. The government issued a quarantine August 20 to stop the Ebola epidemic from spreading from the rural community of some 20,000 people, located near Liberia's international airport, and the military is stopping residents from leaving the area. Local Ministry of Health personnel say they have sent 20 sick people in the previous days to the Doctors Without Borders (MSF), treatment center for to be tested for Ebola. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
The US Agency for International Development has announced it would donate USD 75 million to fund 1,000 more beds in Ebola treatment centres in Liberia and buy 130,000 more protective suits for health care workers. West Africa's struggling health systems have buckled under the pressure of an Ebola outbreak that has already killed about 1,900 people. Nurses in Liberia are wearing rags over their heads to protect themselves from the dreaded disease, amid concerns that shortages of protective gear throughout the region are responsible for the high Ebola death toll among health workers.
The US Agency for International Development also urged American health care workers to respond to the outbreak. Rajiv Shah, the agency's administrator, told The Associated Press that several hundred more international experts are needed and the agency will help send Americans health care workers there. 'This will get worse before it gets better,' he said. 'We have a coherent and clear strategy ... But it will take weeks to months to get operational at that scale.'
The USD 75 million comes in addition to about USD 20 million the agency has already donated to fight the outbreak that was first identified in March in Guinea, and has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The killer virus is spread through bodily fluids such as blood, sweat, urine or diarrhea. Health workers account for about 10 per cent of the deaths so far. Much of the protective gear they use must be destroyed after use, so Ebola wards need a constant flow of clean equipment.
One nurse at a hospital in Monrovia, Liberia's capital, said she and her colleagues have resorted to cutting up their old uniforms and trying them over their faces to protect themselves, looking out through holes in the fabric. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorised to talk to the media.
'It is really pathetic,' she said. 'We are not equipped to face the situation.' With no goggles to protect them, their eyes burn from the fumes of chlorine used to disinfect the ward, the nurse said.
David and Nancy Writebol, American missionaries who worked at another hospital in Liberia, echoed those concerns, speaking to the AP in North Carolina. They said doctors and nurses are overwhelmed by a surge of patients and there aren't enough hazard suits to keep them safe.
Why don't we have a cure for ebola yet?
Writing for HuffingtonPost, Christopher F. Basler, PhD, Professor of Microbiology writes: 'A cure for Ebola has still not been found partly because large pharmaceutical companies have been reluctant to invest in a drug with a small market size. But fortunately, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Defense invested a lot of money in basic research and drug and vaccine development for these viruses over the past 10 to 15 years, and clearly that's paid off. Now there are a number of candidate vaccines and therapies that work in animals. I think that's very significant progress.'
Here are some tips to prevent Ebola infection:
Educate yourself about Ebola: Knowing the symptoms, modes of transmission and preventive measures is the first step to prevent the spread of the disease. This information is especially important for those who are travelling to and from affected areas in West Africa. (Read: Has the Ebola virus really come to India?)
Maintain sanitary conditions: Basic hygiene plays a very important role in preventing Ebola. The exact way by which the virus enters the body is still debatable but skin and eyes are suggested routes for viral entry. However, food and water may also serve as source of entry. So, simple acts like washing hands before eating and disinfecting surfaces and covering the mouth can help prevent the spread of the virus, especially in areas surrounding the areas of outbreak. (Read: Ebola Facts: Top 7 myths busted)
Avoid contact with blood and body fluids: Ebola virus spreads through all body fluids including blood, semen, saliva, sweat, urine, fecal matter and vomit of infected individuals. Healthcare workers and medical staff who are more likely to come in contact with infected body fluids, infected needles and first aid, should handle them with protective gear. (Read:5 reasons the ebola virus should never come to India)
Treat injuries: Open wounds and injuries can give the virus an opportunity to enter the body. Therefore, minor cuts and bleeding injuries should be kept covered and be treated at once. Read: Ebola Virus Travel Tips Precautions you should take
Here are 9 warning symptoms of Ebola that you should know
With inputs from PTI
Image source: Getty images
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