Medilinks , 7th May 2002  

Outbreaks, epidemics and war

By  John Kiwanuka Ssemakula

Two stories that have recently been in the news and featured in Medilinks are the connection between War and epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola and the resurgence of African sleeping sickness as a new threat in Africa. One of the most striking features is the very close correlation between the countries most severely affected by these diseases and those currently involved in conflicts. It is no coincidence this is happening now. War has displaced millions of people, disrupted economies and lead to the breakdown of health systems.

Sleeping sickness is back in large part because disease control mechanisms that operated in the past have broken down because of the reasons mentioned. Sleeping sickness is unique to Africa, Ebola though originally isolated in Africa, has been found in other continents such as USA. Ebola remains a potent deadly threat, a time bomb waiting to go off. It may be only a matter of time before the virus mutates to something more virulent and deadly. Resolving these conflicts becomes not just a desirable ideal, but a matter of urgency.