Having caused world wide moral panic and initially starting out in Sierra Leone, the deadly Ebola virus is now causing more grief, as it hits the Western regions of the country. The outbreak has taken the lives of 4,500 people in West Africa, Liberia,Guinea and Sierra Leone, being the three most-affected countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that there will be an estimated 10,000 cases by December.
British army medics seem very confident with the training they have received in order to make a difference to the wide spread of this deadly disease.
With so much medical surveillance (Heathrow airport checks and so on), I have to ask myself if people are even concerned about the less fortunate in these poor African countries, who may not have access to sanitation, medical aid and a lifeline. Having overhead conversations on public transport and in my university lectures, it seems to me that the media and the public have collaboratively demonized Sierra Leone for causing this turmoil, rather than try and empathise with its increasing death rates from Ebola.
For most of us, the NHS is a free service open to us, for us to get any likely symptoms checked out ASAP, whilst the majority of West-African citizens have to wait for the arrival of aid workers and nurses from abroad. I believe, in a crucial time like this, where we are constantly in a culture of fear of contracting Ebola, appreciation of vitality of life is key, rather than wasting energy on migrants.
Furthermore, there has been many conspiracy theories against Ebola forming over the last couple of months. Some believe that the Ebola virus was created by the US military in laboratories in order to depopulate the population. Fuelling even more social unrest, a few days ago, Hip-Hop singer, Chris Brown had tweeted out "I don't know .. but I think this Ebola epidemic is a form of population control."
However, I disagree with the conspiracy theories that have been formulated so far and believe that there should be less discourse surrounding the profit-making ventures from creating Ebola to actually deriving strategies to completely eradicate this virus and similar ones, for social upheaval and justice.
According to government statistics, Ebola-related deaths in Sierra Leone are being increased by 20 daily. This is a worrying and distressing statistic. May Allah give the deceased comfort in their graves and their loved ones strength and long life.
British army medics seem very confident with the training they have received in order to make a difference to the wide spread of this deadly disease.
With so much medical surveillance (Heathrow airport checks and so on), I have to ask myself if people are even concerned about the less fortunate in these poor African countries, who may not have access to sanitation, medical aid and a lifeline. Having overhead conversations on public transport and in my university lectures, it seems to me that the media and the public have collaboratively demonized Sierra Leone for causing this turmoil, rather than try and empathise with its increasing death rates from Ebola.
For most of us, the NHS is a free service open to us, for us to get any likely symptoms checked out ASAP, whilst the majority of West-African citizens have to wait for the arrival of aid workers and nurses from abroad. I believe, in a crucial time like this, where we are constantly in a culture of fear of contracting Ebola, appreciation of vitality of life is key, rather than wasting energy on migrants.
Furthermore, there has been many conspiracy theories against Ebola forming over the last couple of months. Some believe that the Ebola virus was created by the US military in laboratories in order to depopulate the population. Fuelling even more social unrest, a few days ago, Hip-Hop singer, Chris Brown had tweeted out "I don't know .. but I think this Ebola epidemic is a form of population control."
However, I disagree with the conspiracy theories that have been formulated so far and believe that there should be less discourse surrounding the profit-making ventures from creating Ebola to actually deriving strategies to completely eradicate this virus and similar ones, for social upheaval and justice.
According to government statistics, Ebola-related deaths in Sierra Leone are being increased by 20 daily. This is a worrying and distressing statistic. May Allah give the deceased comfort in their graves and their loved ones strength and long life.