In recent weeks, Ebola hysteria has spread throughout the English-speaking world, fueled by media hype over concerns that the tropical disease could appear in London or New York. Cases of sick travelers who recently arrived from West Africa have been closely covered, and real estate mogul Donald Trump demanded that American doctors who caught the virus not be allowed into the U.S. for treatment. One U.S. congressman went as far as making the ridiculous claim that fear of Ebola should factor into the ongoing debate over U.S. immigration policy.
Medical professionals and experts have made clear that the epidemic will almost certainly be limited to West Africa. The Western world is at a very low risk of experiencing an Ebola outbreak. The combination of modern health systems and the limited communicability of the virus make it unlikely to spread in developed countries.
By contrast, West Africa is deep in the throes of a terrifying medical crisis that may ultimately have social and political consequences as well. The disease struck under circumstances that could not have been less favorable. Liberia and Sierra Leone, both among the poorest countries on earth, are still recovering from brutal civil wars.
As fear and confusion rise, trust between West African governments and their citizenry has been strained, and the economic impact promises to be severe. While the world attempts to contain Ebola from spreading outside the region, it must also recognize that sustaining peace and development in the region will require emergency initiatives to repair the damage being caused by the outbreak.
On Aug. 6, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf declared a national emergency and suspended constitutional rights for a 90-day period, citing “unrest” that represents a “clear and present danger” to the country. The move is likely intended to give the government a mandate to restrict movement to and from the country’s hardest-hit regions. Armed forces have reportedly deployed to enforce quarantines in the outbreak’s hot spots.
The outbreak has exposed a lack of trust that many Liberians have in their government. Despite numerous efforts to inform the public about Ebola’s presence during the early stages of the outbreak, ordinary citizens echoed theories that the disease was a fabrication by officials as part of a conspiracy to milk foreign donors for money.
The rumor mill has taken an ugly turn in recent days, as tales have sprung up in Monrovia that shadowy groups are poisoning communal wells. One resident told me that he witnessed a mob severely beat a suspected poisoner, whom they accused of injecting chemicals into a well to artificially increase the Ebola death toll. In an interview with a local paper, the national police spokesman denied that well poisonings were taking place and chastised community members for throwing stones at officers.