The Ebola Outbreak In West Africa

Epidemics and outbreaks have been a recurring problem throughout history. Now for the first time we have the use of technology to warn the public about certain outbreaks, and to help make populations aware before the disease spreads. Technology can't stop an outbreak, but it can educate those that need to be prepared and ready for the situation of how to reduce the impact. One example of a recent epidemic is the Ebola outbreak in Africa. Ebola is a fatal and deadly disease, as well as being very infectious. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, and chills. Following, a person may experience internal bleeding resulting in vomiting and coughing blood. However technology can be very useful in that not everyone has access to it, especially for those that live in remote communities.

The huge size and nature of this epidemic has overwhelmed an already vulnerable health care system in the region. People were misinformed and mistreated, medical staff was not trained properly, and they didn't have information about critical aspects of the epidemic like, who to notify, how the virus spreads, and the right equipment to treat the patients. Without the ability to quickly communicate with other regions that may be affected with new technology, the disease can spread much faster by hitting unprepared locations.

Knowing these aspects calls for a rapid response of the government and the different entities to take action and implement a plan to stop the epidemic, and the use of technology makes that easier. Www.msh.org claims that the economy lost $33billion, the rigor of the outbreak calls the fast implementation of technology including ehealth and mhealth, which are application that provides interaction between health care users and providers to further and enhance the response of an