The outbreak on Ebola may be declining and an Ebola vaccine has been successful in its trial, but the battle rages on, this time with the survivors.
The infection that affected many countries in the world, primarily those in West Africa such as Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, has led to more than 25,000 cases with over 10,000 men and women killed. However, it also left thousands of people who survived the disease.
In one of the recent updates on the infection, representatives from the World Health Organization reported lingering illnesses among these survivors. About 50% of them, for example, have been complaining of joint pain that sometimes get worse that it's debilitating. It then prevents them from landing or holding on to a job that feeds their families. Further, the pain can last for some time, especially among those who have suffered the most during the infection.
Some, meanwhile, developed problems with their vision, including an inflammation that could lead to their blindness if they are not treated.
Mental health issues are also appearing ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Others have elevated anxiety due to family loss and the prospect of returning to work again.
Compounding the problem is the fact that health infrastructure continues to be in a disarray. They lack the right health care professionals or specialists to combat these diseases. Doctors, on the other hand, are confused on how these issues develop, so they have to be content with treating the symptoms.
According to Anders Nordstrom, who currently works as a WHO representative in Sierra Leone, they have never encountered this huge number of survivors ever before. This can be a challenge for the medical field because of lack of in-depth knowledge and experience. The last epidemic, which was seen in Uganda, affected more than 400 people with around 200 of them surviving the disease.