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Dr. Aileen María Marty has been dispatched to Liberia by the World Health Organization to help in combating the rapid spread of Ebola in some West African countries and in particular Liberia (Chardy, 2014). The country has been affected by the outbreak since March 2014. The three West African countries namely Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia have recorded close to 1000 deaths so far.
The latest outbreak reports also indicate that more than three Americans have succumbed to the deadly Ebola virus. A total of 391 cases of Ebola have been suspected and confirmed so far. The number of deaths suspected to have been occasioned by the virus stands at 227 while109 cases have been officially confirmed after laboratory tests. More American experts are expected to be sent to the affected West African nations to control the outbreak (Millar, 2014).
In terms of the healthcare system, any group or segment of a population that is poorly incorporated in the established healthcare infrastructure is described as vulnerable. Some of the factors that may contribute towards poor integration of groups include health characteristics, geographical patterns or features, and the economic, cultural as well as ethnic aspects. A vulnerable segment of a population is deemed to be isolated if it cannot access basic medical care. Individual state of health may also be jeopardized owing to the high risks (Ferguson, 2007).
As already hinted, vulnerable groups are hampered from obtaining necessary services by several factors. To begin with, low income heavily contributes towards social isolation. Households that cannot afford the cost of accessing high-quality healthcare services are segregated along the poverty line. Another dominant factor is the ethnic and/or cultural practices of a given portion of a population (Ebola in Liberia, 2014). Certain cultural belief systems can potentially act as barriers to effective healthcare delivery.
For instance, some communities may not be willing or ready to embrace the latest advances in medical technology. Consequently, they end up entrenching themselves in ineffective curative methods. The personal health characteristics of individuals in society may also play a major role in aggravating the state of vulnerable populations.
Allocation of resources is also another key barrier that prevents vulnerable populations from accessing care services. Policymakers are not in a position to weigh the impacts of various healthcare programs adopted across the board concerning the available resources. While the vulnerable groups demand higher budgetary allocations than the rest of the populations, implementation is still a major challenge (Millar, 2014).
The onset of Ebola is similar to that of the flu. The infected persons are usually diagnosed with poor appetite, stomach pains, vomiting, diarrhea, general body weakness, aches in muscles and joints as well as headache and fever. The invasive procedures are minimized during treatment. Dehydrated patients should be supplied with adequate fluids and electrolytes. Anticoagulants are given to patients as part and parcel of treatment.
I work with abused children, the elderly, Lupus and HIV patients. Despite the critical social and emotional help required by these groups, I have noticed that stigma is a major setback in the progress being made to re-integrate these people into society. For example, HIV patients are hardly given any meaningful attention by the immediate communities. The elderly men and women also complain of being shunned by their relatives. Needless to say, the negative societal response to some of these vulnerable groups may continue to pull back the gains already made by social workers.
References
Chardy, A. (2014). FIU disease expert tapped for Ebola mission in Africa. Web.
Ebola in Liberia (2014). Web.
Ferguson, C.C. (2007). Barriers to Serving the Vulnerable: Thoughts of a Former Public Official. Health Affairs, 26(5), 1358-1365.
Millar, S. (2014). Ebola outbreak: US warns disease remains out of control as American aid worker returns for treatment. Web.
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