Reassess ‘Action Plan’ against Ebola

From a total of 1,145 deaths reported by the World |Health Organization, or WHO in West Africa since the outbreak, more than 400 people are known to have been killed by the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia. It is no doubt that if the Government of Liberia does not redouble its efforts in all commitment and sincerity, the number may double in the shortest period of time. Redoubling its efforts entails a reassessment of its ‘action plan’, as well as re-thinking its political will to finally and ‘once-and-for-all’ deal with the outbreak.

In reassessing its action plan announced by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on July 26, 2014, the government must practically ensure a very proactive Ebola Response operation to rapid attendance to Ebola suspects and victims, as well as corpses, among others. If it had not, the government must now place serious emphasis on logistics, especially vehicles to move into communities where there are cases of Ebola.

While the Government of Liberia may be doing its best, un-necessary bureaucratic bottom-necks may just be hindering proactive efforts. In such abnormal times in our nation’s history, actions and steps against the deadly Ebola disease must be immediately proactive. Even though the intervention of the international community, especially the World Health Organization, World Bank Group, as well as the European Commission and the United States Government, among others, is well noted and recognized, the government is under obligation to ensure that its action plan against Ebola is not only practical, but impact-making and realizable.

Towards this direction, the Government of Liberia must also ensure that as of now, there’s a coordinated and synchronized approach to communicating information about the deadly disease to the entire population, other than the fearful and the scaring path on which the Ministers of Information and National Defense, as well as the Director of Police and Assistant Minister for Preventive Diseases continue to thrive in the wake of this national emergency in Liberia.

While we do not intend to go into the details of the foregoing, we can only urge the government to speak on the Ebola disease with one voice in a very clear tone to the understanding of the population. And unless these recommendations are considered, Ebola in Liberia may go beyond “epidemic to serious national catastrophe.”