As the dreaded Ebola virus ravage West Africa, our hearts go out to all those front line staff that work their hearts off and put their lives in harm’s way so that many of us will live. We commiserate with their families and the West African countries of Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, etc.

I’ve heard in some quarters, and I’m appalled by this, that some people are referring to the different government efforts to stem the virus as scare tactics and scramble. For example, in Liberia, villagers recently attacked a quarantine center and dispersed Ebola patients to the hinterlands. They were reported to be saying that there was no Ebola, and that the government was using the Ebola as a scare to attract foreign funding. This is not true. Ebola is not a scramble.  It is not war mongering. It is not propaganda.  This virus is killing people.

But reactions and thought like this tell us more: that those who think that programs aimed at increasing knowledge and behavior have saturated the world and are no longer needed are wrong.  I have always disagreed with them and cannot disagree with them any more than now. And thus, we need to educate our people and let them know that death is never a ploy. But the Ebola virus in West African nations means more than a scramble; it means life. People’s lives are stake, families will be devastated and communities will mourn—some for a long time for loved ones that were demised by this virus. Ebola is not a scramble; it’s not war mongering. It is more than  all these.


About the Author:

Dr. Romuladus ‘Romey’ Emeka Azuine is the founder and Executive Director of the Global Health and Education Projects, an international  501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Riverdale, Maryland, USA.  Romey can be reached at [email protected]