Updates continue to appear daily on BBC, World Health Organization / WHO and other websites.


The Philippines is in the Western Pacific Region of WHO, and there is a regional meeting in Manila to address various health issues including the Ebola outbreak.


While the points made at the meeting may seem obvious, they do summarize the current situation :-


• The world’s growing social and economic inequalities


• Rumours and panic spread faster than the virus


• The world is put at risk when a deadly virus hits the destitute


• Decades of neglected basic health systems and services can bring a fragile country to its knees


• There is a lack of research and development incentive as evidenced by the absence of an Ebola vaccine


• The world is ill-prepared to respond to a severe, sustained and threatening public health emergency.


I would not over-estimate my expertise in this topic . It seems that the Philippines government IS responding to the outbreak in order to prevent ( or at least control ) Ebola virus infection reaching the country. President Aquino recognises that the several million OFWs - with thousands of OFWs in West Africa – does “ make these kinds of outbreaks of paramount concern “.



Hopefully the West African epidemic will be controlled with the measures being implemented ; the infection rate will peak then decline ; the crisis will pass ; and cases in other countries including the UK and Philippines will be isolated. Effective vaccine(s) and drugs will become available .

The alternative is that cases will increase, travel restrictions will multiply, and the economy in Africa ( and elsewhere ) will suffer, a vicious circle .


What I do know is that it’s unlikely this virus will become airborne. It may well mutate, but only to a milder, more easily transmissible form, more “ successful “ than killing half its victims. Viruses do mutate but are not known for changing their actual mode of transmission.



http://www.wpro.who.int/mediacentre/...4/20141013/en/


http://globalnation.inquirer.net/112...ola-outside-ph


http://www.healthpromo.doh.gov.ph/do...virus-disease/