14_10_30_MED_ebola

 "The problem is in Africa. The solution lies with the developed countries," this was stressed by several experts at a roundtable on Ebola organized by the high school Tropical Health of the University of Navarra. Among the speakers were Dr. Aurelio Barricarte, head of the Epidemiology, Prevention and Health Promotion Service of the Public Health Service of Navarra ( high school ); José Luis del Pozo, PhD of the University of Navarra; Ignacio López-Goñez, PhD of the University of Navarra, and Ignacio López-Goñez, PhD of the University of Navarra. Clínica Universidad de NavarraD., Ignacio López-Goñi, Full Professor of Microbiology of the University of Navarra and Paul Nguewa, director of the high school of Tropical Health of the academic center. 

Aurelio Barricarte referred to the protocols that would be activated in Navarra if a case of Ebola were to occur. In Spain "They have already been activated 26 times and half of them have been for malaria". If the case were to occur "all the corresponding reinforcements would be enabled" to be able to treat the sick person and that the rest of the services could maintain normality. "Volunteers have been sent to order but there has not been enough response," he added. Among the causes may be the fact that "this is the disease that perhaps kills the most staff sanitary ".

Regarding the risk in our country, Ignacio López-Goñi considered it unlikely: "In Spain there has only been one case. In Nigeria 20 and they have managed to control it". The three speakers agreed that "the status in Africa is disastrous". In fact, Dr. Del Pozo pointed out that the current outbreak could also lead to an increase in deaths from malaria or AIDS "for fear of going to the hospital".

Ending Ebola

"Ebola is classified as a bioterrorist agent," said Dr. José Luis del Pozo. This is the core topic so that there are already treatments in an advanced development phase and there is talk of human trials. "There are diseases that affect 1 billion people for which there is no treatment." However, the use of these also raises ethical questions.

Attendees asked, among other things, about the possibility of controlling the disease. Ebola is a zoonosis -a disease in animals that is transmitted to humans- so it will be very difficult to eradicate it completely. Even so, Dr. Del Pozo was optimistic about controlling the disease. "It will be achieved through vaccination in the countries where outbreaks occur.