“No variation in the health of … states… is the result of chance; it is the direct result of physical and political conditions in which nations live” enumerated epidemiologist and founder of medical statistics William Farr, in 1866 (Walraven 2013). The current Ebola outbreak is a good case study highlighting disparity of healthcare between core and peripheral nations.
Ebola virus strikes fear into the hearts of many. Incidentally, this fear seems to be most prominent in certain subsets of the population, mainly manifesting in those living in the periphery or who are impoverished. Often the hardest hit areas are peripheral nations hampered by political turmoil, weak health systems, and who are lacking in human and infrastructural resources.
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Since March 2014, the CDC and WHO have tallied over 15,000 cases, and 5,400 deaths, rendering the current epidemic larger and more serious than all prior outbreaks combined (CDC 2014). The localization of the Ebola virus in Africa highlight the existence of a core-periphery divide between Western powers like Canada and their underdeveloped counterparts like Guinea. To examine the issue of inequality between healthcare systems of the core vs periphery, we must first examine the foundations of healthcare. To look at healthcare we need to discuss the economic and political development of both Canada and Guinea. To look at infrastructure we need to start with the colonization of these two …show more content…
Current State of Affairs The modern development of Canada is due in large to her abundance of natural resources and the associated foreign direct investments from the US and Europe. This is reflected in Canada’s trade policy priorities: 67% of imports are from the US, and more significantly, 87% of Canadian exports are sold in the US (The North-South Institute 2002).
Harold Innis argued that Canada’s early developmental trajectory of focusing on natural resources actually weakened her ability to establish herself as a powerful core nation (Innis 1993). According to Innis, the realities of the dominant coalitions in command of resources in the early stages of development meant large US and British influences. Under their guidance, capital and energy were focused on developing an export base tied to the leading commercial and financial interests of those nations. Canada’s “export mentality, result[ed] in an over-concentration of resources in the export sector and a reluctance to promote domestic development” (Watkins 1977.). Canada had fallen into a “Staples Trap,” where she was dependent on the US to buy Canadian exports and sell US imports (Innis
Since the country’s conception in 1867, Canada has lived in the shadow of it’s southerly neighbour, the United States of America. Through the years, what started out as a country with very distinct culture has morphed and become Americanized. Historically speaking, American influence has had a great economical impact on Canada. Speaking about the Americanization of Canada, Pierre Trudeau, former Prime Minister of Canada, has said, “Americans should never underestimate the constant pressure on Canada which the mere presence of the United states has produced…” This pressure has changed the way Canadians live and conduct business. This pressure has Americanized the Canadian economy. American culture has a very far reaching effect on Canada with many trickle down effects. Americanization of the Canadian economy has lead to the American control of the Canada’s corporate structure, Canadian dependence on American capital, turned the Canadian economy into a mirror image of the American economy, and has led to loss of
His resistance against Britain’s intrusion of Canadian autonomy explains itself and his adopting of two provinces rich in resources and fertile land may be the reason Canada is still afloat when it comes to international trade today. In fact, current statistics show Canada is one of the largest producers of canola globally and in 2016 Saskatchewan accounted for 53.7% of Canadian canola area. Alberta is rich in energy-resource, as it is home to oil sands, the largest reserve in the country, and third largest in the world, along with mass amounts of natural gas and
In both Ebola Outbreak by Dabbous and A mask on the Face of Death by Seltzer they discuss the social and political problems contributing to the spread of Ebola and HIV/AIDS. These Epidemics continue to spread thought out the world to millions of people. The main areas that these diseases began to spread began in very poverty stricken countries. Not only did poverty play a role in the spread but both Dabbous and Seltzer pointed out the lack of education in the area which leads people to easily be manipulated by stories about the diseases. The cultural practices in these areas contribute majorly to the spread of the Ebola and the AIDS virus. These viruses continue to spread to other parts of the world and is hard to contain to a specific location.
Over the past few years, Canada's economy has done comparatively well and has demonstrated some resilience to the fluctuating global economy. However, Canada remains to be relatively less competitive with respect to other developed countries. In this paper I will attempt to take a closer look at Canada's position in the global economy today and examine the relevant issues.
The outbreak engulfing three countries in West Africa began in Guinea when a toddler contracted the virus from eating an infected bat in an impoverished village where bushmeat is a dietary staple – again highlighting the disparity in living standards and socio-economic status between core and peripheral nations. Infectious disease like Ebola have mostly been exorcised from developed countries because a basic level of health is ensured through the government, private sector, or social agency. Unfortunately, the poor in Guinea avoid seeking aid because they cannot afford to, as discussed above. Also, fear of and lack of trust in authority prevents individuals from seeking medical attention – this distrust has stemmed
Imagine being isolated from your friends and family, suffering from an illness that feels as though something is burning through your body, while watching people around you dying of the same illness and wondering when it will be your turn to proverbially “kick the bucket”. For many survivors of the Ebola disease, this situation would be far too familiar. In March 2014, the Ebola virus outbreak began in West Africa, mainly in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. According to a recent figure from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been a total of 28616 Ebola cases and 11310 deaths from Ebola in these three countries (2014). There were many unpalatable symptoms of the disease, such as “fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, widespread bleeding, diarrhea and other physical symptoms leading to high mortality” (Van Bortel). If one is lucky enough to survive this virus, however, there are just as many negative results of the virus as there were symptoms. Many West African survivors have to deal with their new negative image, negative lasting health effects, or a decrease in financial stability due to their inability to work or find work after they recover. Now that the West African Ebola epidemic is over, (Liberia) there remains the task of assimilating the survivors back into their societies. Moreover, the best solution to counteract the effects of the Ebola virus on survivors is to expand upon the Ebola-survivor-support organizations already in place.
The supererogatory capitalist mentality reinforced in American society as a means of success and an acceptable manner to diligently fulfill ethical and moral obligations has been streamlined through the allocation of financial resources, however, these contributions have failed to educate West Africans about precautionary measures, build an effective public health infrastructure and has generated a new strain of the virus: Ebola Debt. Since the recent outbreak of Ebola in early 2014 politicians and public health officials have collaborated with the World Health Organization to dedicate the “Health System Fund” aiming to repay what a large portion of the population claims to be a debt to our allies, which beguiles the general public of its
The Ebola virus, which is native to regions of Africa, causes an illness resulting in severe bleeding, organ failure, and even death. Outbreaks in Africa and other regions occur often. The virus is transferred from person to person through contact with infected bodily fluids of sharing needles. Once contracted, a patient will experience sudden symptoms such as fever, headache, aches, chills, and weakness. As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more severe. The symptoms of later cases of Ebola include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, red eyes, rashes, chest or stomach pain, cough, severe weight loss, and internal; bleeding. There is no medication that can effectively treat the disease. Care for Ebola patients may include
The Ebola virus (EBOV) is very pathogenic, and it belongs to the genus Ebolavirus within the family of Filoviridae. The virus can cause several syndromes between human and non-human primates. This syndrome includes a hemorrhagic fever. In fact, there is a recent epidemic of EBOV in West Africa that has increased the morbidity and mortality rate of the infection to a higher percentage, but there are surges in developing their health care system to combat the infection and to control the future incidences. West Africa nations that are affected by the Ebola virus has trained healthcare workers about safety methods in handling outbreaks and has given early prophylactic treatment to reduce the dose of the virulent. However, there are two types
For countries that lack accommodation and resources to care for afflicted patients, the environment can become from deadly as Ebola can quickly claim the lives of affected
Epidemics have plagued the world for thousands of years. Today, that threat of disease has increased due to our mobile society. The few cases of Ebola Virus brought to the United States from West Africa are perfect examples of this threat. Educating myself on the Ebola epidemic left me with the impression that the world was tremendously unprepared for such a large-scale epidemic. The World Health Organization (2015) indicates an abundance of factors, including mobile populations, shortages of health care workers and personal protective equipment, and community resistance, that have been contributing to the disease’s transmission from the onset. In the West African epidemic, basic hygiene procedures such as frequent hand washing
The medical resources provided by the West African governments are limited. The affected countries are poverty ridden and do not have the government funding to provide the proper health care facilities. Most of the medicines that the Ebola infected countries receive come from organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, or MSF. MSF has shipped over 1,019 tons of supplies to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia since they began aiding these countries in March of 2014 (“Ebola”). MSF has over 3,000 hired staff in the West African region, and the organization has approximately 600 beds for isolation (“Ebola”). The West African countries affected also have large populations, so even though they are receiving help from organizations like MSF they still do not have enough medical supplies to help all of the
In March of 2014, in West Africa, the Ebola outbreak began. This horrendous disease causes symptoms such as “…sudden onset of fever, muscle aches, weakness, sore throat and headache.” Last year, when Ebola spread, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, believed the “…outbreak could reach 1.4 million cases by early next year.” The President Barack Obama spoke about the issue and what needed to happen in order to keep the people safe. However, a year later, Ebola is still taking lives from innocent people.
Science has offered mankind various alternative methods to stop diseases from invading the human body. Whether, it be a vaccine, a pill, or various collaborative methods, mankind is in the pursuit of controlling and isolating the Ebola virus disease. Ebola is a disease that not only consumes the lives of many, but also consumes the infrastructure of many villages, towns, and their way of life. The Ebola virus is one of the most dangerous diseases because it suppresses the immune system, damages the vascular system, leads to multiple organ failure, and hemorrhagic fever along with a chain of various other symptoms. It is not one single phase of Ebola that has up to a 90 percent mortality rate 1, but a wave of multiple body systems failures that disintegrates the human body as a whole. The virus’ ability to attack the human body has driven man to expand on various new methods to counteract the destruction it has had on the Central and Western African. Understanding the Ebola virus disease, its strains, and its ability to suppress the immune system, has driven the collaboration of health organizations to design and implement projects that will control and reduce the spread of Ebola.
Global health rose to the forefront during the recent Ebola outbreak in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency on an international level. Healthcare providers in the United States knew little about controlling