“If the crisis had hit some other region it probably would have been handled very differently. In fact when you look at the evolution of the crisis, the international community really woke up when the disease got to America and Europe.”
The above comments of Kofi Annan said in a recent interview with the BBC, showed how the fatal threat of Ebola is treated nowadays. This disease is reaping lives for the past 40 years, but vigorously puzzled the international community the past few months and this is in the course which was found that it consists a risk for the global economy! This, moreover, notes the IMF and the World Bank, estimating that the "damages" until December will rise to 32.6 billion dollars.
Now that the epidemic has spread as a result of the long economic "bleeding" and destruction of African countries by the imperialists, the World Bank delimits the confrontation of Ebola as a primary priority and this, due to the fact that the disease is capable to "destroy the global economy"!
The history of Ebola
The name Ebola derives from a river in the Northern part of Congo. The first incidences had probably manifested by a bat bite or by contact with other infected wild animals in 1976 and since then thousands of people died as the mortality rate ranges from 50% to 90%.
The "reappearance" of Ebola emerged in December 2013 in Guinea when a two-year-old boy and his family died. The incident of course did not get any dimensions not even when the disease appeared in West African countries: Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Not even from WHO (World Health Organization) nor any pharmaceutical company was interested in dealing with the virus which affects the poor blacks of West Africa. Besides, for them, Ebola was a non-profitable disease until after the rise of the Ebola incidences created the prospective for huge profits.
The “sensitivity” of capitalism… 40 years later
When a Spanish priest in Madrid and an American nurse in Dallas of USA are infected by the "cursed virus" and led to death, the issue of Ebola becomes an emergency issue for the global health and the first alert hits. No alert, of course, was previously sounded despite the fact that in the regions of West Africa, from December 2013 until 22nd of October 2014, the fatal virus had caused the life of 4881 people and many other proven cases were identified.
1 doctor for every 30000 inhabitants…
The three countries, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, are in the list of the world's poorest countries however, with rich deposits of minerals and diamonds. The natural wealth of these regions could not initiate the interests of large multinational companies which over the past decades they rip off the wealth of these countries in order to satisfy their own interests. In conjunction with the leveling advent of organizations such as the IMF and the World Bank, the health systems in these countries have been smashed, being unable to cover the minimum for the people of these countries. The figures can show the reality: 200 doctors are available from the public health system in Sierra Leone for six million inhabitants, 50 doctors in Liberia for four million inhabitants.
…they are sending troops to “fight” Ebola
The Ebola virus took enormous proportions causing the reaction of several other countries. Some countries sent doctors and medicines and some other troops!. The USA has sent 4,000 soldiers, Britain sent 750 soldiers and the Netherlands sent dozens of Marines and a frigate.
USA assures us that the troops are sent in order to "supervise" the construction of medical centers and to create a military control center for coordination and provision of administrative knowledge to control the outbreak of the virus in West Africa. Not at all by accident, USA found the ideal opportunity which expected to send troops to these areas and not to because they want to give a helping hand to the residents of those countries. Ebola gives the trigger to USA and the other monopolies, which so long have been awaited for, to march again in these areas without the risk of showing their real intentions, as their primary aim is not other than retesting of these areas. While the inter-imperialist rivalries are carrying on for the control of this area, the only thing that is certain is that the inhabitants of these areas remain trapped in poverty, without relishing the wealth produced in the country.
The reaction of Cuba
In contrast with the imperialist countries, Cuba had expressed its internationalist solidarity by sending medical personnel of 165 people (doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, specialists in controlling infectious diseases, physicians of the intensive care unit and other officials). The socialist Cuba has shown its humanitarian character as indeed did many times. Since 1990 Cuba has sent 135 000 doctors and nurses for aid missions.
Capitalism is reaping the already devastated Africa
These countries continue to be ravaged by the continuous exploitation by the monopolies, the inhabitants are still living in cruel living conditions and weakened health systems, without access even to the basic goods essential for the human existence. The Ebola reaps the already devastated Africa. The only thing that is certain is that the troops in the USA and of the other countries in opposition with Cuba are not seeking to "rescue" the people of the area, but by demonstrating the military force, the monopolies are trying to protect their interests in these areas and are getting prepared for a new joust to redistribute the pie against the West African people. Because if capitalism had social sensitivities would not be capitalism!!!
November 29th, 2014