An old chascarrillo of the journalistic world said that Africa only appears in the news when a target travels there.Decades later, the phrase is still more or less true.The Ebola epidemic that has been hitting the western part of Africa for months became remarkably visible in Spain when our country rescued Miguel Pajares, a priest of the order of San Juan de Dios.After his death, Spain has taken another scare, with the possible infection of a Nigerian in Alicante.
While we are pending whether or not the virus entered Spain, Liberia and other adjoining countries continues to bury its dead.According to the World Health Organization, in the last four months Ebola has infected more than 2,000 people of which more than 1,000 have already died.Ebola, which is transmitted by direct contact with blood and body fluids of infected people or animals, causes serious bleeding and can have a 90 percent mortality rate.This is the first time that an Ebola epidemic in Western Africa is identified and confirmed, because until now they had always occurred in central Africa.Only a drug, called ZMAPP, is managing to counteract somewhat the advance of the virus.Two Americans infected in Liberia were the first to take the medicine and have improved since then.However, ZMAPP does not seem to be the perfect remedy.Its manufacturer is not responsible for the side effects that this medically can produce since it has not yet been tested with humans, so whoever takes it does so at their own risk.
Ebola emerges as well as a very harmful virus.The comparison with other diseases leaves no doubt, because the forecasts of the World Health Organization are not good.The last pandemic that went around the world was flu A (H1N1).From April 2009 to August 2010, this type of flu left 19,000 victims, so WHO considered it a pandemic with a "low mortality", if it is treated to its rapid diffusion.The Ebola virus, for now, is very focused on countries such as Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
Africa dies, but not only for Ebola
But in addition to Ebola, Africa has other problems, other reasons to die.According to a WHO report on mortality in the world from 2000 to 2012, in high -income countries, 7 out of 10 deaths are people who have exceeded 70 years.In countries like Spain, it is mainly died due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or diabetes .This figure varies greatly if compared to that offered by the territories with low income, since only 2 out of 10 deaths occur in people over 70 years.Life expectancy is lower in these countries, but infant mortality is another problem they have to face.4 out of 10 deaths occur in children under 15, while in countries with high income 1 out of 100 deaths corresponds to children under 15 years.
WHO, governments and citizens of many countries appear these days to what is happening in a part of Africa, to see if everything stays in less than expected.But the reasons behind the epidemic also lurk in other places and not only can lead to epidemics, but also uncontrollable social outbreaks.Several experts point to extreme poverty and deforestation as the causes of the Ebola virus epidemic.The consumption of monkey meat can be behind the causes of the disease, and for hunger there is no drug that is worth.We will have to continue attending to the survivors and provide help when the epidemic passes.