I got my second shot for measles at the age of four. I remember because I was in major trouble with my mother after I crawled off the doctor’s table and wedged myself between a door and a cabinet in a dramatic refusal to the shot. Mortified, my poor mom scolded me out of my hiding place. I ended up getting the vaccine after twenty minutes of tearful protest. And yeah, my fears were confirmed. Shots hurt!
In my adult life, I actually enjoy getting vaccinated (one of my many charming quirks). In a recent visit to the doctor’s office for shots before a trip abroad, I thought gratefully of my ability to get medicine quickly relatively inexpensively (thank you graduate school insurance).
Ebola virus | Image via Wiki
Access to medicine has been on my mind a lot over the past year, particularly as I have read about the Ebola outbreak. It’s been twelve months since since Ebola was first identified in West Africa. And while the region has seen a dramatic drop in confirmed cases over the past several months, a new virus is emerging with deadly vigor - measles.
It’s a scary reality that after the death of over 10,250 people to Ebola, another healthcare emergency is spreading across West Africa. The healthcare infrastructure has been overtaxed throughout Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone under the heavy weight of the epidemic. As a result, measles vaccinations have seen a dramatic drop during the past year. Fighting against Ebola, overburdened hospitals and healthcare workers have been unable to keep up the demand of vaccinating children - leaving millions of youngsters at potential risk.
In a recent article by Agence France-Presse (AFP), experts have reported that an outbreak of measles in the West African countries could potentially infect thousands. Individuals living in poverty are at additional risk of contracting the deadly virvius as these individuals are often living in conditions where vaccination and access to clean water can be rare.
Hospital | Image via Wiki
Measles outbreaks often follow humanitarian crisis. In 2010, after the horrific earthquake that destroyed much of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the measles virus flourished in the months after the disaster. Thats because vaccination rates decline after a crisis due to fear of infection and strained healthcare systems.
Researchers currently estimate that measles immunizations in the West African region (typically ranging from 60-70 percent of children) have fallen by 75 percent since the Ebola crisis began. Doctors are forecasting that in addition to the 7,00 measles deaths that the West African nations of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone would normally expect, an additional 16,000 additional children could die from measles due to disruptions caused by Ebola to the healthcare system.
Following crisis situations, countries struggle to regain footing, and often this process is slow and uneven. Healthcare workers, particularly in instances where the disaster is an infectious disease, are difficult to recruit and sustain a presence in the field. So, what to do?
International development and the strengthening of national healthcare systems can stop some of the healthcare breakdown in nations that are prone to natural and humanitarian disasters. As the world becomes increasingly interconnection by travel, trade, and digital communication, it is our mission, as global citizens, to advocate for increased healthcare spending in our own nations, and those abroad.
The research is available - crisis situations often tailspin into other emergencies. So, what does it take to stop this pattern of disaster followed by disaster? Learning from past events, and strengthening emergency awareness response can help nations prepare for epidemics and unforeseen events.