Protect the environment to prevent ebola
Mar 06, 2008
<b>Tucungwire Rwamutega</b><br><br>On February 20, the Ministry of Health declared Uganda Ebola free and set prevention and mitigation measures that include strengthening the Uganda Virus Research Institute to ensure that it is capable of handling dangerous organisms and surveys for infectious dis
Tucungwire Rwamutega
On February 20, the Ministry of Health declared Uganda Ebola free and set prevention and mitigation measures that include strengthening the Uganda Virus Research Institute to ensure that it is capable of handling dangerous organisms and surveys for infectious diseases. While these measures are good, one key facilitator of Ebola transmission missed a solution; the destruction of the environment.
According to the International Centre for Medical Research, the location of the Ebola outbreak areas suggests that the reservoir and the transmission cycle of the Ebola virus are closely linked to the rainforest ecosystem. Some forms of destruction of the environment could be linked to Ebola spread like logging; the second largest contributor to deforestation in Africa, threatening the continent’s existing indigenous forests and habitats of animals. Environmentalists say part of the problem is as a result of the common use of clear cutting and unsound methods that strip large areas of trees and vegetation. This practice facilitates man’s intrusion into the privacy of animals like gorillas that have been linked with Ebola. It also displaces animals and forces them to invade man’s living areas. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, indigenous forests in Africa are being cut down at a rate of more than 4 million hectares per year. In Uganda, forests are disappearing at a rate of 2% per year. At this pace, this implies that the country’s forests are likely to disappear in 50 years.
In addition, the conversion of forest land to agriculture is the most common cause of deforestation in Africa and other tropical regions. As demand for farmland grows in response to population pressures, several hectares of tropical forests are likely to be destroyed. This would also facilitate man’s displacement and contact with animals and sites that have been linked with Ebola.
Therefore, as we look for ways of preventing ourselves from Ebola, we should consider the following: Law enforcement concerned with standard conservation and protection of wildlife, eliminating poaching and hunting in protected areas, increasing investments in wild life protection, preserving Africa’s surviving tropical forests and planting new trees.
The writer is a researcher at the Development Research Centre
On February 20, the Ministry of Health declared Uganda Ebola free and set prevention and mitigation measures that include strengthening the Uganda Virus Research Institute to ensure that it is capable of handling dangerous organisms and surveys for infectious diseases. While these measures are good, one key facilitator of Ebola transmission missed a solution; the destruction of the environment.
According to the International Centre for Medical Research, the location of the Ebola outbreak areas suggests that the reservoir and the transmission cycle of the Ebola virus are closely linked to the rainforest ecosystem. Some forms of destruction of the environment could be linked to Ebola spread like logging; the second largest contributor to deforestation in Africa, threatening the continent’s existing indigenous forests and habitats of animals. Environmentalists say part of the problem is as a result of the common use of clear cutting and unsound methods that strip large areas of trees and vegetation. This practice facilitates man’s intrusion into the privacy of animals like gorillas that have been linked with Ebola. It also displaces animals and forces them to invade man’s living areas. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, indigenous forests in Africa are being cut down at a rate of more than 4 million hectares per year. In Uganda, forests are disappearing at a rate of 2% per year. At this pace, this implies that the country’s forests are likely to disappear in 50 years.
In addition, the conversion of forest land to agriculture is the most common cause of deforestation in Africa and other tropical regions. As demand for farmland grows in response to population pressures, several hectares of tropical forests are likely to be destroyed. This would also facilitate man’s displacement and contact with animals and sites that have been linked with Ebola.
Therefore, as we look for ways of preventing ourselves from Ebola, we should consider the following: Law enforcement concerned with standard conservation and protection of wildlife, eliminating poaching and hunting in protected areas, increasing investments in wild life protection, preserving Africa’s surviving tropical forests and planting new trees.
The writer is a researcher at the Development Research Centre