Ebola’s Threat To India

Elliot Willard

Ebola’s Brief History

o First emerged in 1976 in Sudan and Zaire

o Virus named after Ebola River in Zaire

o Ebola is one of the MOST deadly known

viruseso Mortality rate is roughly

53%-88% (depending on the strain)

o A lack of credible information has led to

information gaps about the virus

o Ebola primarily occupies Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea in West

Africa

India-Africa Relations India has recently made efforts to renew relations

with Africa

In 2011, former Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, promised $5 billion in loans

Indian business firms have expanded to Africa in recent years (Indian telecom firms, mobile-banking)

Many Indians are currently living in East African cities, such as Durban…but also in West Africa where the disease is becoming widespread

India-Africa Summit

o Was to be held in Gurgaon, Indiao Would have been largest India-Africa summit, “including the

leaders of all 54 countries in the African Union”o Postponed by India’s government due to the Ebola threat and

fear of transporting the virus across borderso The decision was coordinated with the World Health

Organization and the African Uniono “No complaints from African delegates have surfaced over

cancellation”

Ebola Outbreak in West Africa

o Over 4,000 people have died of the disease in 2014

o India makes aid contributions of $12.5 million

o Many of the infected are health workers

o Since India lacks a sufficient amount of doctors and nurses, a public health scare exists

o “India only has two facilities capable of testing for the virus”

Cancellation Good Idea?

o “The UN Security Council has also declared the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa a ‘threat to international peace and security’”

o No one person or group appears irritated/unhappy

o BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

o Worst Case Scenario: The Ebola virus spreads into India’s dense population…the effects would be comparable to the Black Death that swept through Europe in the 14th century

Sources

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-09-20/news/54135424_1_ebola-outbreak-deadly-ebola-virus-india-africa-summit

http://currentaffairs.nirdeshak.com/12-october-2014-current-affairs/

http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2014/10/ebolas-threat-india

WHO 2014-10-14

Country Liberia

Sierra Leone

Guinea

Ebola cases

4262 3410 1519

Ebola deaths

2484 1200 862

Total population

4092310

5743725

11474383