Ebola Virus

The fast spreading news of the latest fatal disease, Ebola which is increasing its fatality rates throughout Sierra Leone, has produced a hot topic of conversation “do we help them or not?”.

This question has plagued many moral and ethical debates amongst other countries, the recent decision by the Federal government to help Australian medical stuff assist those whom have been infected by the Ebola virus has sparked an interesting result. Up til now, cases of Ebola both suspected and confirmed; have led to public fear which in turn contributed to the debate of the above question.

Despite aid workers voluntarily travelling to infected areas of Africa to lend a hand, many individuals back home and voiced their outcry in the possibility that these individuals could become the vessels in which this virus could travel in to other countries. This calls into question the most fundamental concept of humanity, how does an individual stand by and witness this horrific disease claim the lives of innocent children, mothers, fathers and then refuse to assist those whom are brave enough to face this disease.

"There is no reason stopping the Australian Government from resourcing those volunteers to go, it's only a matter of the willingness of the Australian Government to act," Dr Owler said. (Green, 2014)

This recent decision by the Australian government is a positive step towards combating and preventing an Ebola outbreak. The article also displays diagrams of the mask and suit that will be used by medical professionals whilst in Africa. This is most definitely a step forward, through discussion the government has acknowledged the implications of taking action and remaining silent. By believing that it is our moral obligation to send help, our government has shown true growth in becoming a global citizen.
 
Bibliography:



Green, A., 2014. Ebola crisis: Government to announce plans to help Australian medical staff fight virus in Africa. [Online]
Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-04/ebola-crisis-government-to-assist-australia-medical-staff/5866456
[Accessed 4 October 2014].