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08.10.2014 Special Report

Exclusive: ModernGhana Meets Coca-Cola Africa Foundation On Ebola Virus

Dr. Susan Mboya-Kidero, President Of The Coca-Cola Africa FoundationDr. Susan Mboya-Kidero, President Of The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation
08.10.2014 LISTEN

The Online Managing Editor for ModernGhana, William Nana Yaw Beeko, engaged the President of the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, Dr. Susan Mboya-Kidero, based in Kenya, on the growing concerns over the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

We bring to readers excerpts of this exclusive interview:

1. Please let's kindly meet you, Madam!

I am Dr. Susan Mboya-Kidero, President of The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation. 

2.       West Africa and for that matter Africa, is under threat due to the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. What have you observed so far with the global measures being put in place to deal with the spread of the disease?

There has been an unprecedented response to the Ebola outbreak and I think governments in the hardest hit countries are doing everything they can to deal with the crisis. Even worldwide governments, relief organisations and NGOs are coming together to prevent the virus from spreading by treating patients and providing support to healthcare staff who, at huge risk to themselves, care for those who are infected.  

3.       Do you see African governments doing enough to prevent the disease?

I think governments are coping best they can and they are taking the outbreak very seriously. Managing this crisis requires enormous resources.

The Ebola crisis is also putting a spotlight on the readiness of countries to deal with serious health threats such as Ebola. I believe that an outbreak of this scale would be a challenge for any country to manage. However, Africa has been particularly hard hit. Weaknesses exist in relatively new health systems in countries which were only beginning to stabilize after years of civil war.

In the three hardest-hit countries – Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea – there are only one to two doctors available per 100 000 people. Keep in mind that these doctors are concentrated in urban areas.  Add to this the fact that a large number of fatalities are among healthcare workers – more than 250 contracted the disease and more than half passed away. Sierra Leone has lost some of its top Ebola specialists to the disease, which only compounds the crisis.

Many African countries have a mixed scorecard when it comes to readiness to deal with a potential outbreak. Being prepared for an outbreak is so critical to quickly arrest and prevent the disease from spreading.

4.       What does the Ebola virus mean to corporate organisations and companies in Africa? Do you believe it may have any negative impacts on investments and businesses? Is it likely to scare away investors?

Governments and economists are starting to calculate the costs associated with the outbreak. All indications are that it will certainly pose a significant economic threat to countries in the midst of the Ebola crisis. The World Bank estimates that billions of dollars could be drained from West African countries by the end of next year, if the virus continues to spread at the current rate.

The virus is having a direct impact on productivity, caused by isolation and quarantine measures, as well as fears of infection. The result is a slowing of normal economic activity and cross border trade. Governments are stretching their already limited resources to provide additional funding for treatment, and to isolate and bury victims.

Governments are also finding that they have to undertake labour-intensive tracing processes to track people who had close contact with infected individuals. This is turning out to be a difficult task. CNN reports that in Sierra Leone only 20% to 30% of available addresses can be tracked. The inability to trace everyone who has had contact with an Ebola patient is cited as one of the main reasons why the disease is spiralling out of control.

What's more worrying is the long term economic impact, once the disease is contained. In the worst case scenario, the World Bank predicts that economic growth next year could be reduced by 2.3 percentage points in Guinea and 8.9 percentage points in Sierra Leone. In Liberia, which has been the hardest hit country, the economy could lose up to 11.7 percentage points in growth next year.

5.       What has been Coca-Cola's contribution to the global response mounted by the UN and African governments to rise up to the challenge?

The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (TCCAF) has responded to the Ebola crisis in West Africa by donating medical equipment and supplies to healthcare centres affected by the outbreak. Through our healthcare partner, MedShare, doctors and nurses working tirelessly on the ground to care for infected patients and prevent the spread of the disease – at huge risk to themselves – will have access to personal protective equipment.

The intervention is making a significant difference to the lives of healthcare professionals in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and surrounding countries. The shipments, valued at USD200 000, include personal protective equipment (PPE) such as latex gloves, surgical drapes, gowns, face shields, syringes, face masks and shoe covers – essential items to reduce the risk infection for healthcare workers and to improve the level of service delivered to patients. To assist with patient comfort in each country, biomedical equipment such as beds has been sent to affected countries in ocean containers.

Tragically, the shortage of PPE has led to many medical workers treating Ebola patients becoming infected themselves and passing away. Others are just quitting their posts out of fear of becoming infected, which leaves patients with nowhere to go for care.

6.       What do you make of the stigma most families have attached to relatives who are showing signs and symptoms of the Ebola virus?

West Africa is struggling with fear and stigma around Ebola and I think it is a natural human reaction to any disease, particularly if it is highly infectious and has no known cure. However it is having a particularly harmful impact on the orphans who are left behind when adults pass away. According to UNICEF, at least 3 700 children in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have lost one or both parents to Ebola since the outbreak's start. In Liberia alone almost 2 000 children are known to have lost their parents in the outbreak. The impact is doubly hard on these children. Not only do they lose their parents, their extended families and communities reject them out of fear of the disease.

This fear of stigmatization is also having the unintended consequence of driving Ebola sufferers underground, and/or people claiming that an Ebola death was due to something else, putting the entire community in danger. Given that the most virulent stage of the disease is immediately before death, if a community believes that a person did not die of Ebola, they may be encouraged to continue with their normal burial rituals which involve touching and bathing a corpse. This has tragic consequences.

In Guinea, aid workers are focussed on preventing widespread panic by providing life-saving information to communities so that they can have a better understanding of the disease and of how to best protect themselves and their families.

Clearly, the psychosocial ramifications of an Ebola death in the family are far-reaching and complex. So in addition to raising awareness among communities, Red Cross volunteers are also providing psychosocial support to families affected by the outbreak.

7.       Do you agree with some assertions that some countries which are yet to record Ebola cases are being complacent?

I believe that the results are mixed on this score, with some countries being more prepared than others. An outbreak of this kind will be a significant challenge and concern for any country. The speed and ferocity of this particular outbreak have taught us the need to be prepared. As a global community, and Africa in particular, we should learn from this crisis and emerge stronger and more able to cope with such health crises.

Africa's medical resources are very much focused on treatment, which is the most urgent need right now. But we need to invest more in prevention and building health systems that enable us to cope with any eventuality.

8.       Do you see Ebola coming to stay with us and do you think the global response would be enough to curtail it?

I believe that the global response, while initially slow, is now beginning to accelerate to the point needed in order to begin to slow this epidemic. And once it begins to slow, and more aid comes in, I believe that eventually it will be brought under control.


However, I believe that the global response which had accelerated in the last month or so must continue to accelerate. The sheer size of this outbreak means that it is a continuously moving target, and the globe needs to work hard to get ahead of it. In Sierra Leone the government recently recorded 121 deaths in a single day, that's up from a handful of deaths a day just two months ago. The outbreak is growing exponentially, and more resources will be required to contain it.

The World Health Organisation reports that to turn the tide on this outbreak up to 70% of those infected will need to be isolated and treated. Currently, only 18% of those infected are isolated in treatment centres, leaving more than 80% of infected Ebola victims at large in the community. These people are ill equipped to effectively care for themselves without further spreading the disease.

In recent weeks, however, aid organizations have begun to distribute home care kits containing personal protective equipment to enable caregivers in the home to protect themselves while caring for a loved one with Ebola. This, along with a rapid increase in the number of beds available in isolation wards, will be our best chance of containing this outbreak.

9.       Do you believe there would be any cure for the virus?

 There is currently no cure for Ebola, but research scientists are working to find a cure and developing a vaccine to prevent the disease.

10.   What is your final word of advice to people on the spread of Ebola, since we are all at risk?

I truly admire those who continue to risk their lives every day to help bring this humanitarian crisis to an end. The exceptional response to the Ebola crisis shows that we have not lost our humanity. Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia can't overcome this crisis alone and it will take a concerted global effort to bring this epidemic under control.

The African community and the rest of the globe has to come together to offer those on the frontlines of this battle all the support and resources they need. I believe there is hope – the outbreak can be brought under control with the right equipment and sufficient resources. The world can win this battle.

Dr. Susan Mboya-Kidero, President Of The Coca-Cola Africa FoundationDr. Susan Mboya-Kidero, President Of The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation

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