Question

What are the health, Economic, and Social consequences of Ebola. Provide references in APA format

Answer 1

Consequences of EBOLA on Health:

• Ebola is a rare but deadly virus that causes fever, body aches, and diarrhea, and sometimes bleeding inside and outside the body. As the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, it causes levels of blood-clotting cells to drop. This leads to severe, uncontrollable bleeding.The disease was known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever but is now referred to as Ebola virus.
• It kills up to 90% of people who are infected.
• The outbreak of Ebola is a significant shock to the health systems and can lead to fear and mistrust of the health services, the closure of health facilities, and the deaths of health service staff. During the outbreak, health workers were 20- 30 times more likely to be infected with Ebola than the general adult population.
• Overall decrease in healthcare utilization, especially in regards to maternal delivery care, malaria treatments, and vaccinations.
• It greatly affects maternal and child health.
• Increase in mortality and morbidity rates.

Economic consequences:

• The economic impact of the Ebola crisis includes loss of gross domestic output, threat to food security, fall in employment and livelihoods, and decline in foreign investment.
• Fall in Household income, financial reserves are being used up and large numbers of people can experience food insecurity.
• The Ebola can affect the macroeconomic activity and budgetary resources results in negative consequences for the livelihood and food security of the population due to slow economic growth as a result of disruptions to activities in agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing, trade, tourism and transport.
• There can be a drop in sales in the manufacturing and construction sectors which in turn causes a drop in economy and sources of capital investment and foreign spending . This drop can result in increasing unemployment.
• The government and donors will divert financing for different sectors to combat Ebola. This will create a critical funding gap for non-Ebola related government services.
• Rural and urban households experience significant declines in income from most sources, including agricultural labour, petty trade, and the sale of forestry products, bush meat, and crops as a result of the effects of a general economic slowdown and major market disruptions.

Social consequence:

• Progress in human development is likely to be reversed due to the impact of the Ebola crisis on health, education and standard of living.
• There will be increase in unemployment due to drop in econo mic system.
• An increase in mortality and morbidity rate due to malnutrition as there will be food scarcity.
• Those affected by Ebola or working to combat it (such as healthcare workers and burial teams) face stigmatisation. Social cohesion is also weakened by ‘do not touch’ policies.
• Women and children are particularly affected by the crisis.
• Children don't attend school due to school closures, which means loss of education and increased risks of drop-out, teen pregnancy and child labour, crime rates.
• There will be Health systems collapse and non-Ebola related mortality increases.