What people are saying... about Ebola

I’ve culled this info from a series of interviews published online…

“Cynicism toward government has a long and justified history in West Africa — Liberia consistently receives poor marks for its record battling corruption, and Guinea recently cancelled an iron mining contract worth billions of dollars after watchdog groups uncovered evidence of massive bribery. Sierra Leone is rife with corruption at all levels. “People's thinking is that the whole situation is being made up by the government to get money from the international community,” says Daniel Krakue, a Liberian community rights advocate.

“When villagers notice a relative or friend becoming sick, the person is hidden away rather than taken to containment facilities, which are viewed as de facto morgues.”

There's often extreme reluctance among those who contract the illness to reach out for help when they become sick. Those tasked with coordinating the medical response to the outbreak say that they are encountering fear and even violent hostility when they try to help. “We are being met with high resistance — sometimes people say that health workers are bringing Ebola into communities,” says Liberia's Assistant Minister of Health Tolbert Nyenswah. He describes a recent situation in which Liberian health officials had to beat a hasty retreat after people they suspected of hiding ill family members threw stones at them.

According to Nyenswah, rural belief in juju — West African magic — is also contributing to the challenges officials face. “Some people believe there is a curse that is causing the problem, and that there is nothing called Ebola.”

Krakue agrees. “People don’t know what the sickness is, and they prefer to go to the traditional healers," he says. "They feel that they have been bewitched.”

As the disease spreads and the death toll increases, officials are becoming more concerned that the outbreak could last for months. Frustrated with people hiding sick relatives, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf this week said that those who know of suspected Ebola cases and who fail to notify authorities could face legal prosecution. Nyenswah believes such measures are necessary to combat Ebola and prevent deaths, but others think they could heighten the stigma and cause sick people to go further into hiding. Regardless, one thing is certain — an outbreak that was once thought to be relatively under control has proven to be nearly impossible to contain.