The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the worst in history—but its rapid spread and high mortality rate are just part of a much larger problem. Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are already grappling with myriad social, economic and public health issues that have become even more vulnerable in the wake of this crisis. Unless the infection rate is curbed in a significant way, the virus will threaten the viability of already-tenuous health care systems in these nations by directing resources away from preexisting health concerns, such as tuberculosis, malaria and poor maternal health conditions. It will also undermine the economic stability of the entire region, orphan thousands of children and limit students’ access to educational institutions.
To explain the extent of this collateral damage, MPH@GW, the online master of public health offered through the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University, created “Ebola: The Ripple Effects”. Learn more in the graphic below.
