The following opinion pieces address issues surrounding the Ebola outbreak.

Foreign Policy: If You Live in Illinois, Do Not Panic About Ebola
Kim Yi Dionne, assistant professor of government at Smith College

“…Instead of aggressively supporting or even partnering with those fighting the outbreak on the front lines, many governments and other international actors are acting defensively, treating Ebola as a disease they can protect themselves against by limiting their interaction with affected countries and suspecting anyone with ties to West Africa of being a possible vector. But restricting travel and subjecting university students to temperature checks suggests foreigners are ignorant about how Ebola works — just as the media have (at times condescendingly) described so many West Africans as being…” (9/4).

Washington Post: The Ebola crisis demands that America act
Michael Gerson, Washington Post columnist

“…The Ebola outbreak in West Africa demands directness: We are about to witness a human catastrophe that could destroy large portions of a continent and pose a global threat. And the response of the world, including the United States, is feeble, irresponsible, and disrespectful of nature’s lethal perils. … It is hard to imagine a coordinated effort on a sufficient scale that is not organized by the United States. … If the Obama administration does not act quickly, it will lose its best chance at securing resources until December. But, so far, there is no ambitious plan. … Easy or hard, it is time for the United States to blaze a path out of this valley of death” (9/4).

The Lancet: Ebola: towards an International Health Systems Fund
Lawrence Gostin, director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Public Health Law and Human Rights

“…A dedicated International Health Systems Fund would build national capacities not only to respond rapidly to public health emergencies, but also to enable low-income and some middle-income countries to deliver comprehensive health services. … The West African Ebola epidemic could spark a badly needed global course correction that would favor strong health infrastructure. Sustainable funding scalable to needs for enduring health systems is a wise and affordable investment. It is in all states’ interests to contain health hazards that may eventually travel to their shores. But beyond self-interest are the imperatives of health and social justice — a humanitarian response that would work, now and for the future” (9/5).