Ethics

"As Ebola cases rise in Congo, the W.H.O. declines to issue emergency declaration"
Online article from The New York Times
Published April 12, 2019

In 2014 a huge global tension popped up. Ebola, a brand new virus has killed a lot of people from different horizons and backgrounds, European, African, American, White, Black, Yellow, and Red people. Complotist theories shown up, "this viral infection is the will of those who want to have the power and rule the world", " Ebola has been created in lab in order to reduce the global consumtion". We all remember this dark moment we went through, supposedly. I mean, can we say that it is over? The last case of ebola media massively talked about was about a spanish nurse whose life was hanging on a thin thread, but who eventually survived from the disease, 5 years ago, in 2014. Since this episode, there's no news concerning the number of people dying because of Ebola. Does it really means that ebola has disappeared just as fast as it came, like in a fingersnap ? Then, how can we explain that in the eight last months 1206 people have been declared suffering from ebola, just in DR Congo? How can we explain that 764 people have been killed by the virus in that same country ? These are the numbers that we have, but what are the real ones ? I assume that many anonymous people are still dying from ebola in rural places but we never hear about them. How come it feels like nobody cares, assuming that we are just turning a  blind eye to this horrible plague ?
        The issue is that the W.H.O^[1] refuses to admit that Ebola is actually a massive virus keeping on killing plenty of people all over Africa especially in DR Congo where it is gradually decimating populations. Congolese people definitely need to be more informed and sensitized about the danger of this disease. They need to see more qualified people such as doctors, and scientists coming to help them to understand and get ready. Indeed, the more they will be ready to face and fight the virus, the less they will get infected and die from it. Unfortunately, the W.H.O doesn't think that way. No need to push the emergency button. But if thousands of people dying is not a reason to push it then what will be. We can imagine that the reason of their opposition is the fact that there are not enough deaths, but we all know that it is a vicious circle. If the W.H.O doesn't ring the global urgence bell, nothing will help and cure these people suffering, neither protect those who are potentially in danger, and then it will finally become an important problem because there will be more and more people dying that, yet, could have protected had they been sensitized sooner.
        This is typically a bioethical problem.  In fact, how can we decide to let people die or not ? Just as euthanasia, assisted suicide, abortion it is definitely questioning. Who can say they legitimely have the right to choose for people wether they can live or not ? We can say, as we take the instance of abortion, that we all admit it is something terrible, and terrifying for a mother to decide to stop her pregnancy and renounce to the life of her baby. Nevertheless, according to the situation, the context, and the social background of the woman, opinions and point of views will be divergent. For instance, people will not treat a girl who got pregnant because of her raping the same way as they will with a girl who got pregnant at 16 just because she loved her boyfriend. Thus, in some cases the abortion will be tolerated whereas in others, it will be fingerpointed. These situations seem to be tense and taking part of discussions about them seems be just like trying to walk on quicksand. It's hard to come through it without being sure that some people will get mad or frustrated. But for the case of ebola killing African people, where is the knot ? What makes the W.H.O in such an umcomfortable position that pushes them to decline the emergency declaration ? W.H.O has the power to respond such bioethical issues. They definitely have the working force, the qualified and willing people that could have been motivated to help these people to be healed. But they don't use it.
        Nowadays, it seems like every burning topic, and struggling issue can be easily erased with the collaboration of important countries such as  the USA, Canada,  EU or NGOs. Just like the fact that if al  these advanced societies and countries gave money to the countries in difficulty, suffering from starving the global famine could have been definitely over. People dying of hunger would only  have remained being a dark nightmare. People need to wake up and to fight for equal rights and equal repartition of wealth.
        As social workers here is our purpose, what we are meant to do.

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