The Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as the Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in
humans. The Ebola virus is transmitted through contact with blood or body fluids of a person who contracted or died from EVD
contaminated objects, such as needles. EVD has an incubation period of 2 to 21 days, and the infection has an acute onset without
any carrier status. Currently, there is no standard treatment for EVD, so it is important to avoid infection or further spreading of
the virus. Although historically the mortality of this infection exceeded 80%, modern medicine and public health measures have
been able to lower this figure and reduce the impact of the virus on individuals and communities. Its treatment involves early,
aggressive supportive care with rehydration. Despite this, work still has to be done, both locally and internationally, to prevent
the malicious spread of the Ebola virus disease.
Saudi Arabia has historically been a pilgrimage site for the Islamic faith. The Hajj pilgrimage takes place in Mecca
every year, considered to the be the holiest city for all of Islam. Last year, roughly 2 million Muslims came to serve their
religious duty in the city, of which 100,000 were from Nigeria. Nigeria has, unfortunately, been a hotspot for Ebola outbreaks in
the most recent decade, such as the 2014 outbreak in Lagos. Other countries, like the DRC, also have significant numbers of their
population traveling to the Hajj. Following the Ebola outbreak in DRC's eastern North Kivu and Ituri provinces, Saudi Arabia has
suspended Hajj visas to the DRC and has further limited the quota for countries in West Africa, such as Nigeria and Guinea.
Despite this limitation, Saudi Arabia has also donated $35 million in medical examination equipment to West African countries.
The Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, stated, “It is our mutual responsibility as citizens of the
world to help those who are suffering.”
These events strongly resemble the national policy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabia believes that in
order to limit the spread of the Ebola virus throughout the world, emigration from West Africa, Central Africa, and other hearths
should be restricted. Since Saudi Arabia has no political control over these regions, the government has decided to reduce
immigration to our country instead, particularly during the Hajj. The government is also taking steps to secure the layout of
airlines and airports, since they’re the primary way in which Ebola can spread internationally. And to be clear, the government of
Saudi Arabia does not want to be seen as a nation that is unwilling to compromise on a solution. We believe that with
international cooperation and collaboration, we can bring an end to this global apocalypse.
Clearly the prevention for this disease is not 100% certain, but Saudi Arabia is willing to put forth the effort to make it
happen. We plan to invest money into medical equipment, healthcare, and the supply of vaccines. However, we are heavily
against the use of “safe” burial practices because they go against the burial practices of the Islamic faith. We also discourage the
mobility of possible undiagnosed patients in certain African nations, to limit the spread of Ebola. We encourage other nations to
restrict immigration temporarily from these countries, so that we can put all of our combined efforts into one location. This can
also further establish unity and cooperation among the United Nations, which is necessary to combat this international issue.
Works Cited
"Saudi Arabia Disease Outbreak News." World Health Organization, www.who.int/csr/don/archive/country/sau/en/.
"Saudi Arabia Suspends Hajj Visas for DR Congo over Ebola." Aljazeera, 26 July 2019,
www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/saudi-arabia-suspends-visas-people-dr-congo-ebola-190726143929586.html.
"Saudi King Abdullah Donates $35M to Help Fight Ebola in West Africa." The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 11
Dec. 2014, www.saudiembassy.net/saudi-king-abdullah-donates-35m-help-fight-ebola-west-africa.
"Suspected Ebola Victim Dies in Saudi Arabia." BBC, 6 Aug. 2014, www.bbc.com/news/health-28678699.
- Sriyan Madugula
