PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar is calling for a global response to the Ebola epidemic that is ravaging countries in West Africa.

“We currently face a stark reminder of how fragile global welfare is in the face of singular threats such as the Ebola epidemic,” he told the United Nations’ General Assembly, on Thursday.
According to him, a global problem demands a global response that is prompt. “Make no mistake; this is a global problem that requires an immediate global response many times over what is currently being done,” the President said.
Mr. Ramotar added that the concerted global action that is necessary to address today’s problems can only be achieved with strong multilateralism and through relevant, responsive and more democratic global institutions.
“In our time we must continue the search for new approaches to many of the global problems that confront us. In today’s interconnected and interdependent world, the destinies of states and peoples are increasingly intertwined,” he charged.
The Head of State also lauded the efforts of Cuba and the United States of America in offering support to those most affected in West Africa.
Additionally, in Guyana, moves are being made to establish an action plan to deal with the Ebola Virus. A wide cross-section of stakeholders, from various organisations, met earlier this month to address this effort – using a draft plan as the basis of their effort.

DRAFT PLAN
The draft plan addresses five areas. The first for co-ordination and control will see the activation of the national health emergency committee which will hold regular meetings. This committee will develop and approve the action plan and work on the constitution of the national rapid response team. It will also establish communication systems and develop targeted communication materials. This material will include an airport advisory in the form of a poster; traveller’s information in pamphlet form; public information; health care provider information.
The committee will also be responsible for the implementation of WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR) plan including a Situation Room.
The second area of Point Of Entry (POE) will identify all points of entry into Guyana with the possibility of introducing the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) into the country. The POEs will concentrate on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and Ogle airports; the Lethem and Moleson Creek crossings and the various sea ports such as Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Bartica, Charity etc. The points of entry will also seek to have personnel ensure that all arrival procedures are in place. This will include aircraft and ship sanitation, general flight declaration including the health sections and the training of flight attendants among other issues.
The POE personnel will also ensure the examination of flight manifests to identify any possible traveller from infected areas and maintain a register of such travellers. They will also meet with persons from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority and the Airport Authority for establishing control points. Posters for arrival areas at the CJIA and Ogle Airports will also be organised. In addition, they will provide outgoing travellers with information and identify port quarantine facilities at both airports and provide all basic equipment and supplies. POE personnel will also identify and equip ambulances for special transfer of suspected EVD cases.
The third area is clinical preparedness. This will ensure that personnel follow the standard precautions guidelines and implement the infection control plan. They will also meet with hospitals to identify isolation units and train health workers on infection control. Workers will also be trained on clinical management of Ebola.
The fourth area regards laboratory work and will ensure testing to ensure that all differential diagnosis diagnostic testing takes place with feedback transferred to physicians. There will also be moves to identify a reference laboratory and establish protocol whilst establishing guidelines for EVD.
The fifth area deals with epidemiology, public health and prevention. This will strengthen the surveillance for febrile illness accompanied by analysis and reports which includes a case definition. Personnel will also define the target audience and conduct briefings for all health workers.

NOT A NEW VIRUS
The Ebola virus is not new, but is approximately 40 years old. The epidemic in West Africa holds the record for being the worst outbreak in the recorded history of the virus. The outbreak – which has affected the countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone – now has more than a thousand cases, in which more than half of those are confirmed.
Ebola is transmitted to the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected wild animals such as infected fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, etc.
The virus is spread through humans by direct person to person contact through broken skin or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth, etc.) with the blood, secretions, organs or other body fluids of infected persons with Ebola signs and symptoms. This virus can also be spread through indirect contact with environments contaminated with such body fluids.
The initial symptoms are sudden fever, headache, sore throat, muscle pain and intense weakness. These symptoms advance to vomiting, diarrhoea, skin rash and bleeding (internal and external).
The virus attacks the body quickly, and causes the infected individual to be sick in as little as two days but can take up to 21 days for the symptoms to show up.
Protection against the disease can be done by washing hands regularly with soap and water. Hands carry lots of germs that cause diseases. Avoiding direct contact with body fluids (urine, tears, saliva, sweat, semen, vaginal fluid, blood, etc). Using protective clothing such as gloves, etc, when handling urine, stool or attending to wounds. Semen and vaginal fluids also contain virus that can cause Ebola and other diseases. Avoid sexual intercourse with a sick person or a person recovering from EVD for at least three months. Avoid contact with or handling of wild animals, alive or dead or their raw or undercooked meat. Avoid unprotected handling of contaminated corpses. If you have fever, seek medical attention – fever is one of the early indications of viral infections.
There is no specific treatment and there is no vaccine currently available for humans. It is just supportive care. Pain relievers and fever medicines are recommended.
Though more concentrated in parts of Central and West Africa, history shows that cases of infection have popped up in other countries as well.