The outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been described as ‘deeply alarming’ by UK health officials, who have now mobilised an emergency response team to help contain the virus. The move comes as the death toll rises and fears grow that the disease could spread across borders. For the people of the North West of England, this might feel like a distant tragedy.
But the truth is that global health crises have a habit of landing on our doorstep. The 2014 West Africa outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people, taught us that a virus in one corner of the world can quickly become a threat to every corner. That is why the Government’s decision to deploy experts from the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team is not just an act of charity.
It is a matter of self-interest. The team, which includes specialists in infection control and epidemiology, will work alongside the World Health Organisation and local health authorities to track the spread of the virus and set up treatment centres. They will also help to train local healthcare workers, who are on the front line of this battle.
But there is another side to this story. The DR Congo is one of the poorest countries on earth. Its health system is fragile.
Its people are already struggling to survive. And now they face a killer that has a case fatality rate of up to 90 per cent. For the UK to stand by and do nothing would be a betrayal of our shared humanity.
But we must also be honest about the limits of our power. We cannot vaccinate our way out of poverty. We cannot treat our way out of inequality.
The long term solution to outbreaks like this is to build strong public health systems in the countries that need them most. That means investing in clean water, in sanitation, in primary care. It means supporting fair trade and decent work.
It means recognising that the health of a woman in a remote village in the DR Congo is connected to the health of a factory worker in Manchester. The emergency response is welcome. But it is not enough.
We need a permanent commitment to global health security. We need to tackle the root causes of disease. We need to remember that we are all in this together.
And we need to act now, before the next outbreak becomes the next pandemic.
