All the media attention that the Ebola outbreak has received makes me nervous; I think everyone is paying attention to the wrong side of the issue. Ebola has existed in West Africa for more than 40 years, but it is only now gaining attention since it is one of the area’s largest outbreaks of the virus, and it has entered the United States.
The main problem of its spreading is the lack of proper infrastructure in West Africa; while treating and preventing the virus is extremely important, of equal urgency is fixing the poor internal states of these countries. This factor should be given more attention; lack of infrastructure is a warning sign of future outbreaks to come.
West Africa needs major reforms in order to tackle this obstacle. This is a modern world, and underdeveloped countries are falling far behind modernized countries in terms of wealth, health and economic success. While we live in a safe country with abundant access to multiple forms of energy like electricity, numerous African countries can barely supply half their populations with energy. Underdevelopment is causing the spread of Ebola; underdevelopment is what needs to be addressed. We never hear of deadly outbreaks of disease in Germany or Japan; these and other developed countries have effective health care and disease prevention policies in place. If deadly outbreaks like Ebola are to be stopped, preventative measures should be taken.
Our world is entering a modern era, and contrasts between living conditions in developed and developing countries are growing greater and greater. Poorer countries simply do not have the means to provide for their people, which causes outbreaks of disease. Why isn’t development a focus? Why are wealthier nations so apathetic toward this issue? I certainly do not find it fair that countries that cannot sustain or care for their populations should be made to suffer. I do not think those populations find it fair, either.
Erika Stromerson
Glacier Peak High School
Snohomish
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