Country: Fiji
Committee: WHO
Topic: Ebola
Name: Kyle Ritenour
School: Williamston High School
Ebola is a deadly multi-string virus that affects various people in different countries today. The disease mainly affects countries in Africa (and in some instances Europe). The Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Gabon, and several other West African countries are the main stems of this disease from Africa. The fatality rate in these countries is about 50 percent in most cases. Ebola is spread in various ways including contact of bodily fluids, and infected surfaces. It will not spread until symptoms of the infected are experienced. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney symptoms and liver function, and in some cases internal and external bleeding. The symptoms can take from 2 to 21 days to appear. At the moment there is no known cure for Ebola just vaccines. However, the implementation of some minor solutions can assist in recovery and decrease fatality. These solutions include re-hydration, oxygen therapy, and other tactics. So far WHO (World Health Organization) has seen one possible vaccination be created that has been highly useful in the protection against EVD. It was developed in Guinea during a trial in 2015. This vaccination has been and is currently being used via the ring method (giving the vaccine to people most likely to be infected with a certain disease) in the DRC, which is a high infection country. WHO and other health organizations around the world have also found certain diagnostics tests useful in telling whether symptoms are caused by Ebola or other diseases like malaria.
Fiji has had no outbreaks or confirmed cases of Ebola within its borders. Therefore, It has not had to combat or be concerned with the issue at hand. There is also significant evidence that the spread of Ebola to the Pacific is extremely low according to the Fiji Ministry of health. This is because since the virus is only spread from direct contact of human bodily fluids and not animals. The main traffic Fiji receives are from tourists, unlikely to be from countries in Africa where the poverty rate is upwards of around 33 to 90 percent. Fiji has had a past of being pro disease eradicating as it was part of a WHO run strategy called the MCCS (or Multi-Country Cooperation Strategy for the Pacific 2013–2017). The goal of this strategy was to reduce child morbidity and mortality, sexual transmitted disease mortality and morbidity, premature deaths and disabilities caused by noncommunicable diseases, mortality due to epidemics, and provide universal health services and sustainable healthcare. As Fiji is a huge advocate for universal healthcare and the elimination of potentially dangerous diseases, they will support concrete ideas to combat Ebola.
To solve the Ebola issues there are a few possible solutions to implement. Countries’ governments can work together to make it possible for poorer countries to receive vaccinations discovered in Guinea. With pooled resources the body can provide the vaccine and create it for many African countries (where Ebola stems from) as it is the best treatment we have had so far without side effects. WHO can continue to work on spreading awareness of high-risk countries. This will help prevent and decrease transmission from African countries to non-risk countries like European countries. In conclusion, governments around the world should work on identifying and zoning off high risk/infection areas and containing the disease to that area. From there the people of that area can receive the vaccination.
- Kyle Ritenour
