Transcript Ebola’s Threat To India Elliot Willard Ebola’s Brief History o First emerged in 1976 in Sudan and Zaire o Virus named after Ebola River in Zaire o Ebola.

Ebola’s Threat To
India
Elliot Willard
Ebola’s Brief
History
o First emerged in 1976 in
Sudan and Zaire
o Virus named after Ebola
River in Zaire
o Ebola is one of the MOST
deadly known viruses
o Mortality rate is roughly
53%-88% (depending on
the strain)
o A lack of credible
information has led to
information gaps about the
virus
o Ebola primarily occupies
Liberia, Sierra Leone,
Guinea in West Africa
India-Africa Relations
 India has recently made efforts to renew relations
with Africa
 In 2011, former Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan
Singh, promised $5 billion in loans
 Indian business firms have expanded to Africa in
recent years (Indian telecom firms, mobile-banking)
 Many Indians are currently living in East African
cities, such as Durban…but also in West Africa
where the disease is becoming widespread
India-Africa Summit
o Was to be held in Gurgaon, India
o Would have been largest India-Africa summit, “including the leaders
of all 54 countries in the African Union”
o Postponed by India’s government due to the Ebola threat and fear of
transporting the virus across borders
o The decision was coordinated with the World Health Organization
and the African Union
o “No complaints from African delegates have surfaced over
cancellation”
Ebola
Outbreak in
West Africa
o Over 4,000 people have
died of the disease in 2014
o India makes aid
contributions of $12.5
million
o Many of the infected are
health workers
o Since India lacks a
sufficient amount of
doctors and nurses, a
public health scare exists
o “India only has two
facilities capable of testing
for the virus”
Cancellation Good Idea?
o “The UN Security Council has also declared the
outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa a ‘threat
to international peace and security’”
o No one person or group appears irritated/unhappy
o BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY
o Worst Case Scenario: The Ebola virus spreads into
India’s dense population…the effects would be
comparable to the Black Death that swept through
Europe in the 14th century
Sources
 http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014
-09-20/news/54135424_1_ebola-outbreak-deadlyebola-virus-india-africa-summit
 http://currentaffairs.nirdeshak.com/12-october2014-current-affairs/
 http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2014/
10/ebolas-threat-india
WHO 2014-10-14
Country
Liberia Sierra
Guinea
Leone
4262
3410
1519
Ebola
cases
Ebola
2484
1200
862
deaths
Total
4092310 5743725 11474383
population