Despite the seeming likelihood of an outbreak in overpopulated and highly-urbanized Eastern Asia, Asia is potecting itself against an Ebola outbreak — and World Health Organization officials said it is more prepared than most other regions.
Originating in West African countries such as Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, Ebola has now spread to Mali, Senegal, Nigeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as more developed countries such as the United States and Spain.
“This current Ebola epidemic is bigger than any of the previous Ebola outbreaks,” says Gretchen De Silva, a public health science lecturer at the University of Maryland. De Silva’s work focuses on infectious disease epidemiology.
Once contracted, Ebola has between a 55 and 90 percent mortality rate, with the current outbreak being at around 60 percent, said De Silva.
Since there is no cure, doctors can only treat the symptoms of the disease, she said.
There are currently 4,877 reported deaths worldwide from Ebola and an estimated 10,000 or more undocumented deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
“The disease is highly complex compared to other diseases,” says Muhiuddin Haider, a research associate professor at the Maryland Institute of Applied Environmental Health.
“It is imperative that face-to-face contact not be made with those who possess the disease,” says Haider.
So how is Asia staying one step ahead of Ebola?
East Asia is taking no chances in securing its borders. With East Asia’s recent history of emerging diseases, the area already has the experience and has implemented protocols needed to prepare for a potential Ebola outbreak.
In an attempt to stop the problem at the source, the Philippines have sent over 8,000 health workers to aid in the region’s shortage of health personnel.
East Asia’s primary weapon to combat the disease is a series of protocols enacted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asian-Pacific Telecommunity, stemming from lessons learned from the most recent SARS outbreak.
These protocols include advanced regional disease surveillance, and timely information sharing amongst East Asian countries.
South Korea has already established a task force for possible infections, and has begun screening all passengers for fevers at Incheon International Airport.
To prepare for the worst case scenario, Hong Kong has set up 59 isolation wards for any potential Ebola cases.
Through such efforts, experts say East Asia has become leading example of Ebola containment around the globe.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of State (via Flickr Creative Commons)
