Humanitas Global Development Blog

Ebola: Epidemic ends, but problems persist

by Whitner Chase, Humanitas Global

It’s been a year since the Ebola epidemic ravaged West Africa and triggered a mania across the world. In hindsight, the anticipated spread of the disease in West Africa was overestimated.  Ebola never proliferated outside of West African countries, and thankfully, the CDC’s prediction of 1 million cases by January was way off-target. Many media outlets are issuing reports on the state of the disease since last July, rightly acknowledging that it is still a danger to many in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and other neighboring countries. However, these reports have yet to address an issue far more important than quelling Ebola: the disease was, and still is, a signifier of more systemic and dire health gaps in the affected region. What do we need to address these gaps? More healthcare professionals, better healthcare infrastructure and increased healthcare spending, and better support overall for human capacity, such as improved literacy are all critical for creating more robust and resilient health systems.

 

Countries with the worst Ebola outbreaks rank among the worst for other health issues as well.

 

West Africa needs more healthcare providers. Take doctors for example. In China, there are almost 1.5 doctors for every 1,000 people in the country. In the U.S., that number rises to almost 2.5. The disparity between these two countries and that of countries in many West African nations is enormous. Liberia has 1.4 doctors for every 100,000 people. On average, fewer than two doctors are available to serve the same population size that 250 doctors in the U.S. and 150 doctors in China serve. When comparing these statistics, it becomes clear why so many lives were lost during the Ebola outbreak: there just aren’t enough physicians to treat everybody and stop an outbreak before it starts.

 

# of doctors/1000 people over 4 recent years in Liberia         ©|Quandl

 

In addition to a lack of available trained medical staff, general healthcare funding issues in West Africa are widespread. Guinea spends approximately $19.00 on health per person, well below nearby African country Ghana’s national allotment of ~$60/person. Meanwhile, most European countries are able to spend thousands per person, or at least hundreds. The funding deficit feeds into the lack of available medical professionals – if budgets were higher, it is likely there would be more room to hire additional healthcare workers. Developing countries, however, face a number of competing funding priorities. Where this happens, international and regional mechanisms are needed to help fill in the gaps. However, a contributing factor to the spread and slow response to the ebola crisis was a decline in funding for the WHO. According to an article from The Economist, by 2014, the WHO’s budget for outbreaks and declined by 35% since 2010. Disease spreads for lack of funding in the health care system.

As is often repeated in development, no single focus area exists within a vacuum – better health indicates better incomes and better quality of life. The reverse is also true – a population’s health status is not the result of deficient health systems alone. Possibly one of the largest contributors to the spread of Ebola is the lack of education in the region. Governments can advertise to raise awareness levels and prevention efforts, but with an adult literacy rate of only 60% in Liberia, many health care messages won’t be able to reach a large portion of the population. In other West African countries, literacy rates and primary school enrollment rates are even lower. An education in health is important not only in the prevention of common diseases, but to be prepared for a new, uncommon outbreak like that of Ebola this past year.

    

A primary school classroom in Guinea    ©|National Geographic

 

Looking back on the Ebola scare, it is too easy to think that the worst is over. However, problems persist in West Africa despite containment of the disease, and affected countries are no less susceptible to other diseases than they were before. Furthermore, disease prevention is just one of a whole host of challenges facing West African countries, for which the support of education and health care funding are only two solutions.  Supporting a holistic approach to global aid seems to be the most sustainable method of development. This way, it is not the symptoms we are treating, but the source.

 

Liberian women prosper with newfound skills

Crossposted with permission from UN Women 

Around 600 women have been trained in literacy, entrepreneurship and other skills to enhance their physical and economic security.

“My whole life I never spoke English. Now, at my age, I can write my name and I know my ABCs and 123s,” said an elderly woman at a gathering with UN Women delegates from New York held in Bopolu, a town tucked away in Liberia’s northern Gharpolu County.

Women from Bopolu town and neighbouring communities in northern Liberia gather to meet a UN Women delegation. Photo: UN Women/James Mulbah

She was joined by around 150 women, each wearing unique dresses to represent their villages, some whom had trekked up to two hours for the occasion. They sang a welcome song and shared stories on how they have benefited from training under a UN Women project geared to empower them economically.

With support from UN Women, since 2012, around 600 women in Gharpolu County have been trained in literacy, entrepreneurship, leadership and other related economic skills with an ultimate aim to enhance their sense of physical security in public and private spaces. Implemented by the NGO Educare, the project is part of a larger programme that seeks to increase the participation of women in post-conflict planning and peacebuilding.

Liberia emerged from over a decade of civil war in 2003 with much of its infrastructure and social fabric in tatters. Women and girls were particularly affected by the conflict, suffering extreme hardship and high incidence of conflict-driven sexual violence. In post-conflict countries, such as Liberia, improved economic and physical security often lends itself to increased participation of women in politics, peacebuilding efforts and post-conflict recovery.

Women’s businesses are also taking off thanks to a village savings and loan programme, in which the women pool their resources, by making a small payment on a monthly basis and then individually borrow from the funds on a rotating basis, like a revolving credit.  

Women from across Gharpolu County, Liberia bring pots filled with the dried food and spices they produced through the project to show the visiting delegation. Photo: UN Women/James Mulbah

An impressive display of preserved peppers and seasonings for sale in Bopolu illustrates the fruits of their entrepreneurship.

“Now the men are running to us to ask us what we want, since we have our own money and our own security,” a young woman from one of the outlying villages added.

It’s not just about economics, though. The trainings have enabled the women to form a special bond and support network with each other, especially during challenging times.

They shared an experience of rallying around a woman who was about to be left destitute after her husband decided to leave her and their children for another woman, without providing for their financial security. Getting wind of his plan, the women gathered together and barricaded him in his house, forcing him to leave money for his wife and children. The man relented and left the village in disgrace. With this intervention, his wife was able to continue to send her children to school and could ensure their economic and physical security.

For women in post-conflict contexts like Liberia, physical and economic security go hand-in-hand. If women and girls are self-sufficient, they are more able to walk away from abusive situations. As the women of Bopolu can attest, boosting their income and increasing their solidarity is already yielding peace dividends for the entire community.

UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.   

Celebrate International Women's Day and Watch How Liberian Women Took Back Their Country

International Women's Day is March 8. We know that when you give a woman health, education, income and a voice, entire communities and lives are transformed for the better.

To celebrate International Women's Day 2012, join us and watch the celebrated documentary "Pray the Devil Back to Hell," that is being screened by CARE. It's the powerful story about Liberian women who took on warlords and the regime of Charles Taylor in the midst of a violent civil war and achieved peace.

Tune in and chat live on Tuesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. (EST/US Eastern Standard Time). Let us know what you think.