While lives are lost daily to the virus in the affected areas, many countries’ response around the world were panic-driven at best and precautionary at the least. Travel bans were imposed and borders outrightly closed; an action that drew the ire of World Health Organisation (WHO) stating that such actions of border closing and travel bans are counterproductive. This same point was echoed by American president, Barrack Obama that imposing a travel ban could further aggravate the situation and plight of the affected countries. Individual countries seek to “protect” themselves from the scourges rather than collaborate on how to help the countries devastated by the scourge.
Despite millions of dollars in pledges by international communities and donor agencies to fight the scourge, only a handful of one hundred thousand dollars had been realised thus far. The game changer, however, was the spread of the virus to Europe and America with a nurse in Spain testing positive for the disease and the Liberian Duncan as the first diagnosed case in US soil. This development prompted more commitment from the West and more importantly, United Nations admitting its slow response to the epidemic at the onset thus promising to step up its responses to the deadly virus. American government appointed an Ebola “Czar” to coordinate its response. European leaders meeting at the recently concluded EU summit also agreed to appoint EU Ebola “Czar” to coordinate Europe’s response to the deadly virus.
In all these international reactions to the disease, Africa which is most affected by the deadly virus had done little to rally round and assist the heavily hit West African nation of Liberia, Sierra-Leone, and Guinea. Rather than coming together to fight the scourge, countries resorted to gloating on how safe they are and cast Ebola-hit countries as some sort of Zombie nation or outcast that must be avoided. This unwholesome action reveals the lack of cooperation and solidarity among African nations. Granted countries in Africa are not as rich as other continents, offering moral support or coming together under the auspices of Africa Union (AU) to donate resources no matter how little would have gone a long way in sending a message to the afflicted countries they are not alone. More importantly, the message would have resonated with international communities and donor agencies that Africa is united in fighting the scourge.
With a brief stint of the Ebola virus in Nigeria and its quick response which won international applause for curbing the virus in Africa most populous and largest economy, the government announced it has donated US$3.5 million and sending about 600 volunteers to the Ebola ravaged countries. AU commission chairperson recently reported that countries in East Africa are also planning to send volunteers to the affected West African nations. Much as this gesture could be applauded, it, however, came as often late and uncoordinated reaction to fighting the scourge. If Africa’s response is well coordinated and seeing the epidemic as affecting all, an immediate, rapid response would have been enough to contain the virus at the initial stage of the outbreak but countries rather opted for “I don’t care” approach as long as the virus is not ravaging their territories.
It is high time Africa came together and acts as one race regardless of the artificially colonial-demarcated boundaries. Issues regarding Africa should not be seen as superiority contest or an avenue for grandstanding but a collective issue that demands collective action.
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