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Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ebola patients, Liberia, liberian government, more ebola body bags, world health organization (WHO)
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Earlier today, the Liberian government published a list of the supplies it has on hand to treat Ebola patients — and the supplies it thinks it will need. The data paints a dire picture of a country bracing for an outbreak that only gets worse.
The Liberian government estimates it needs an additional 84,841 body bags. It currently has 4,901 on hand.
The West African country also needs more than 2 million boxes of rubber gloves and a half-million pairs of goggles and tens of thousands more pairs of rubber boots. Right now, it has very little of any of these. You can see the gap between supplies needed and supplies on hand here:
The full list of supplies, both those on hand and those necessary, is available in the government’s most recent situation report.
(Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare)
Liberia has been harder hit by the Ebola outbreak than any other country. It has so far recorded 4,076 cases and 2,316 deaths. More than half of all Ebola deaths worldwide have happened in Liberia.
The country is also poor, with few resources to fight the deadly outbreak. Even before Ebola hit, Liberia had one of the world’s poorest health care systems. Liberia spends an average of $66 per person per year on health care — a mere 2 percent of the OECD average.
Supplies matter a lot in the Ebola outbreak. Without proper protective gear, its easier for the disease to spread — not just in Liberia, but also outside of the country, too.
If you’re looking for ways to help ease the supply shortage, consider this list of non-profits currently providing aid in West Africa in the Ebola fight.
Hat tip to the Washington Post for noticing this report earlier today.
For every four cases of Ebola we know of, there might be six that we don’t
While official estimates suggest there are already more than 8,000 cases of Ebola this year, the real number is likely much, much higher. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that the actual number of Ebola cases is roughly 2.5 times higher than the reported figures — so for every four Ebola cases we know of, there could be six that we don’t.
The CDC isn’t alone in this. “There is widespread under-reporting of new cases,” warns the World Health Organization. The WHO has continually said that even its current dire numbers don’t reflect the full reality. The estimated 8,000-plus Ebola cases in West Africa could just be the tip of the iceberg.
Health workers sterilize the house and prepare a body for burial in Lango village, Kenema, Sierra Leone. (Photo courtesy of Andalou Agency)
Written by: SARAH KLIFF (VOX), Posted by: DAVID HODGES, continue at THE COMMON SENSE SHOW
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