Ebola

The drug and vaccine takes time, but wqork is being done as quickly as possible. More isolation units are being planned for across the UK.

I don't think the government needs any pressure putting on them over this. (We do do these things quite well in this country)

More and more brave people in the medical profession are going to West Africa to do all they can to help.

Leave the hysteria to the newspapers.

And to increase any research being done into finding new antibiotics. What is sad is that, now that it is effecting the West Ebola treatment/prevention will be fast tracked.

The 'west' needs to step up its efforts to contain the epidemic in West Africa. It's not just going to peter out any time soon. This is absolutely basic. I saw people with the disease being turned away and sent back into their community to die and spread the disease. This makes no sense at all.

Should we be worried? Yes.

Should we panic? No point as jingl said that won't help.

But we do need to put pressure on our governments to look at messures to minimise the risk of it spreading, to develop a vaccine, to create more than two special isolation beds, etc.

You say" Spreading panic, " I say" Raising awareness". If we turneda blind eye to everything we did not like in other countries and refused to aware of the potential dangers how on earth can we exoect those in authority to take precautionary measures on our behalf and that of others? What happens in the big wide world does impact us, whether that is Ebola, Al Quaeda, Isil, sweat shops in Bangladesho or oil production in the Middle East.

Spreading panic.

But people will be talking about it, jingle. It's what people do whether or not they can do anything about it.

There is no point in talking like this. How do you think this can help? If there was really something ordinary people could do then, yes, talk about it. But don't just stir up fear.

No one is burying their heads in the sand. No one that matters.

You're right, Soutra. I have always thought we shouldn't bury our heads in the sand. It's very worrying.

2 months ago I started a thread with the question Ebola- should we be worried? Some pooh-poohed my worries, dismissing the reports as " mediahype" and put their faith in hand washing and alcohol hand-rub.
Well I take no pleasure in being a Cassandra or " prophet of doom" but ask again "Should we be worried?" And I think the answer is a resounding "Yes". If it can be contracted outside West Africa and under hospital conditions it is surely a wake-up call. Over 3,000 victims have died in West Africa , cases have now been recorded recorded in the USA and now also in Spain only a short flught away. At present the only facility for treating Ebola patients is a 2 bed unit in the Royal Free in London. This is not just Africa's problem is it?

Here is a link to a project with which we are involved, with Rotary. I heard a passionate speaker on this last year.

www.excellentdevelopment.com/what-we-do/pioneering-sand-dams

Cookies are fattening!

I probably need to do that and delete all these cookies that seem to be necessary part of pc life these days.
I can access the links but it is soooo slooow.
Cheers!

I had that problem for the last couple of days. I also got a message which said my Windows 7 was not a proper one!
I did a complete clean with my AVG instead of the usual quick ones, and it seems to be okay now, touch wood.
I have checked the links and they are okay for me. In fact I always try the links after putting them on and alter them if they do not work.

Things are happening then, dj, which is more than I can say for this pc which is so slow that I can't access the links at the moment (links are OK I think, it is just my pc)

Solar-powered water pumps as well.
practicalaction.org/pumping-water-by-solar-power

I suppose, Holly, as I posted above, that 'Africa' is not just one country; there are 47 countries on the mainland, all with their separate governments and often with fighting within those territories.
It would need a cohesive effort to bring clean water and sanitation to every part of the continent and, even with all the aid that is poured in, that is probably not going to happen, unfortunately, in the foreseeable future.

Practical Action, Holly.They are building dams and manmade reservoirs in Darfur, one of the most drought prone areas of Sudan.
They have been working in Africa for 40 years, and were set up by the Schumacher Institute.
www.practicalaction.org

Doesn't sound as if they are getting a grip.

Sierra Leone has now made it a crime to harbour someone with ebola, punishable by a two year prison sentence. Somehow, I think the sentence will possibly be worse than that!

And yet Australia still manages, with their lack of rainfall, to have, on average, 'Major agriculture export products of AU$38,268,192' per year. Wouldn't that suggest that they are managing it?

Africa does have water - it's just that no-one is drilling for it. Therefore, is Africa's continuing drought problems more man-made now than a natural phenomena?

Perhaps I didn't put it across very well.

Yes, but I suppose another difference is that Africa consists of so many different countries, whereas Australia is one country albeit with different State governments.

Sorry, I misunderstood the point you were making obviously.
It's hard not to generalise isn't it - both big continents with many climate zones.

JessM - I do understand the difference between the problems of obtaining clean fresh water in Africa and the problems of drought in Australia ( - not completely thick).

I did say that if Australia, with all its resources and know-how have not yet solved their water problems - and I do not mean people pouring treated water on to their manicured lawns, I mean cattle dying from drought and lack of water, dire water shortages in cities during periods of drought because some areas have not yet built sufficient reservoirs to cope, then what hope have poor African villages of receiving clean water when so much money is wasted by despotic leaders?
Most Australians farms are not on a piped, treated, water system and rely on rainwater for household use ie cooking and drinking, showering (until it runs out) and water direct from the reservoir to irrigate their farms and gardens, flush toilets, do the laundry etc and showering.

It might have been better for the media not to report anything until they knew for certain instead of worrying people.

Just heard at lunch time that the man did not have Ebola