Ebola Epidemic in Sierra Leone: on the Crisis Story of the Pre-COVID Era

 
PIIS207987840016173-9-1
DOI10.18254/S207987840016173-9
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Affiliation: RANEPA University
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Affiliation: RANEPA University
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Journal nameISTORIYA
Edition
Abstract

This article examines the history of one of the most significant crises that occurred shortly before the current global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which lasted from February 2014 to December 2015, killed more than 11,000 people and sowed panic around the world. What started as a local phenomenon quickly became a major challenge to national health in West African countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, etc., as well as to global health institutions such as WHO and international humanitarian organizations. The most severe consequences of Ebola were felt in Sierra Leone — a country rich in natural resources, but with a poor state administration system and a dilapidated health care system. A complex set of factors — environmental, economic, political, social and cultural — was responsible for the spread of the Ebola virus among the people of West Africa. All of them are now more or less well understood, although a holistic picture of the events of the 2014—2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa remains unclear. The aim of this article is to reconstruct the general history of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, as well as to characterize its causes and consequences.

KeywordsWest Africa, Sierra Leone, Ebola epidemic, history, crisis, causes, consequences
Received30.04.2021
Publication date19.07.2021
Number of characters17144
Cite  
100 rub.
When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 371

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Bolezn', vyzvannaya virusom Ehbola. Informatsionnyj byulleten' VOZ. 30 maya 2019 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.who.int/ru/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ebola-virus-disease (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

2. Rossiya napravit vrachej v S'erra-Leone dlya bor'by s ehpidemiej Ehbola // Interfaks. 26 sentyabrya 2014 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.interfax.ru/russia/399044 (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

3. Bausch D. G., Schwarz L. Outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea: Where Ecology Meets Economy // PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2014. Vol. 8 (7). e3056 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4117598/pdf/pntd.0003056.pdf (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

4. Becquart P. et al. High Prevalence of both Humoral and Cellular Immunity to Zaire Ebolavirus among Rural Populations in Gabon // PLoS One. 2010. Vol. 5 (2). e9126 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20161740/ (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

5. Cuban Medical Team Heading for Sierra Leone // World Health Organization. Features. September 2014 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.who.int/features/2014/cuban-ebola-team/en/ (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

6. Deforestation in Guinea’s Parrot’s Beak Area // NASA. Earth Observatory. Image of the Day for April 9, 2006. 10 April 2006 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/6450/deforestation-in-guineas-parrots-beak-area (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

7. Ebola Situation Report. 16 December 2015 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/202501/ebolasitrep_16Dec2015_eng.pdf?sequence=1 (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

8. Ebola Situation Report. 2 December 2015 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/199848/ebolasitrep_2Dec2015_eng.pdf?sequence=2 (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

9. Fact Sheet: U. S. Response to the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa // The White House. Office Press Secretary. 16 September 2014 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/16/fact-sheet-us-response-ebola-epidemic-west-africa (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

10. Green M. Sierra Leone Frontrunner in Anti-Graft Vow // Financial Times. 14 September 2007 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.ft.com/content/bdbdeb3a-62f0-11dc-b3ad-0000779fd2ac (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

11. Gregory A., Lines A., Adams S. Ebola Bodies Must Be Cremated Rather than Buried, Says Liberia Government // Mirror. 5 August 2014 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ebola-bodies-must-cremated-buried-3992369#.U-ldoXV_ubk (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

12. Human Development Reports: Sierra Leone. UNDP, 2015 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2015_human_development_report.pdf (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

13. MacAskill E., Mason R. British Troops to be Sent to Help Fight Ebola // The Guardian. 8 October 2014 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/08/british-troops-sent-fight-ebola-sierra-leone (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

14. Malvy D., McElroy A.K., De Clerk H. et al. Ebola Virus Disease // The Lancet. 2019 Vol. 393 (10174). P. 936—948 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736 (18)33132-5/fulltext (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

15. Pieterse P., Lodge T. When Free Healthcare is Not Free. Corruption and Mistrust in Sierra Leone's Primary Healthcare System Immediately Prior to the Ebola Outbreak // International Health. 2015. Vol. 7 (6). P. 400—404 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://academic.oup.com/inthealth/article/7/6/400/2458852?login=true

16. Richardson E. T., Fallah M. P. The Genesis of the Ebola Virus Outbreak in West Africa // The Lancet Infectious Disease. 2019. Vol. 19 (4). P. 348—349 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099 (19)30055-6/fulltext (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

17. Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census: Thematic Report on Socio-Economic Impact of the Ebola Virus Disease. UNFPA Sierra Leone. October 2017 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://sierraleone.unfpa.org/en/publications/sierra-leone-population-and-housing-census-thematic-reports-socio-economic-impact-ebola (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

18. Sierra Leone Hunts Ebola Patient Kidnapped in Freetown // BBC News. 25 July 2014 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28485041 (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

19. The Economic and Social Impact of Ebola Virus Disease in Sierra Leone. Joint Preliminary Assessment Report. UNDP. October 2014 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/ru/operations/sierra-leone/document/economic-and-social-impact-ebola-virus-disease-sierra-leone-joint (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

20. The Politics Behind the Ebola Crisis // Africa Report. 28 October 2015. N 232 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/politics-behind-ebola-crisis (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

21. UN Announces Mission to Combat Ebola, Declares Outbreak “Threat to Peace and Security” // UN News. 18 September 2014 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://news.un.org/en/story/2014/09/477762-un-announces-mission-combat-ebola-declares-outbreak-threat-peace-and-security (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

22. Wilkin P., Conteh A. A. Neoliberal Health Reforms and the Failure of Healthcare in Sierra Leone: The Case of the Ebola Crisis // African Studies. 2018. Vol. 77 (3). P. 428—450 [Ehlektronnyj resurs]. URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00020184.2018.1473237 (data obrascheniya: 04.04.2021).

Система Orphus

Loading...
Up