A small team in Cardiff is at the forefront of new research in the fight against the Ebola virus
The idea that large donations can remedy a crisis in Africa has dominated the thinking of aid providers and governments since the 1950s. And how have the results been? Effective to some extent, perhaps. But in light of the growing Ebola crisis that has now claimed nearly 6,000 lives we should be acting more constructively than merely pouring financial aid into West Africa.
That is where organisations such as Enhancing Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance (ELRHA) come in. This foundation, based right here in Cardiff, has launched six groundbreaking research projects to combat the spread of Ebola in West Africa.
The programmes will work towards enhancing our understanding of the outbreak and hope to increase the effectiveness of the response.
New research
Jessica Camburn is the director of ELRHA and has previously led humanitarian and development programmes in Africa, Asia and Europe. Jessica is at the forefront of these six new research projects, which are collectively worth a staggering £1.8 million.
She says, “Our small team in Cardiff has been working really hard in the wake of this unprecedented emergency.”
According to Jessica her team is delighted to announce the launch of these research programmes as a “significant contribution to efforts in fighting the disease.”
These six schemes have been selected by international experts in the ELRHA from over 200 applications. The projects, funded jointly by the Wellcome Trust and the UK government, aim to tackle the diagnostic elements of the disease and the spread of the pandemic, as opposed to looking at the virus itself.
One of the projects is a 15 minute Ebola test. It works six times faster than similar tests currently in use and aims to speed up the diagnosis of Ebola cases. “A reliable 15 minute test that can confirm cases of Ebola would be a key tool for effective management of the Ebola outbreak,” Dr Val Snewin, international activities manager at the Wellcome Trust, explains. She says, “This will allow patients to be identified, isolated and cared for as soon as possible.”
Early detection of Ebola leads to better infection control as medical staff can identify and isolate confirmed cases faster, and start treating patients faster. Ultimately, this faster test could dramatically reduce Ebola transmission and mortality.
According to Val this test is particularly promising compared to many others. She says, “Researchers have considered how to make the test suitable for use in remote field hospitals, where resources – such as electricity and cold storage are often in short supply.”
Other projects in the scheme managed by the ELRHA will predict the geographical spread of Ebola, test bodily fluids for the virus and look at behaviour change to help infection prevention and control.
According to Jessica, “They will stand as a benchmark for future outbreaks of Ebola and other diseases in the hope that crisis’ such as this will never occur again.”
Band Aid 30
If we look at this in conjunction with some of the other contributors in the fight against Ebola the methods are incomparable.
Take Bob Geldof’s Band Aid 30 for example. The controversial rewrite of the classic Christmas track shot to number 1 in the week it was released and has so far made well over a million pounds, thanks in huge part to Asda, who brought 250,000 copies of the single to sell in store.
But what is this thing you have to buy? Band Aid’s website proclaims that The Band Aid Charitable Trust will receive 100 percent of all proceeds. Band Aid itself, however, does not actually do anything with the money except funnel it into other organisations, which is to say that Band Aid is just an intermediary.
This is an area among many, where the song has come under fire. If you want to donate pounds to fighting Ebola you don’t need Bob Geldof as your middleman. You could send money directly to an organisation such as the ELRHA.
Despite it’s success, both financially and in the world of music, Band Aid 30 does seem to patronise Africa ever so slightly. Jessica says, “In countries where the framework exists to maintain public health, the outbreak has been short lived.”
Outbreaks in Nigeria and Senegal, for example, have been stopped in their tracks. Africans know how to deal with Ebola. When they have the resources they can cope quite effectively. The fatality rate of Ebola is mainly down to the disease going untreated. The prompt diagnosis of patients would have a huge impact on slowing down this epidemic.
Another of the projects managed by the ELRHA is EbolaCheck, a portable diagnostic device which can test bodily fluids for the virus.
This device aims to provide reliable and rapid diagnostic tests suitable for use in the field. EbolaCheck will test bodily fluids in a single process, providing results within 40 minutes.
Where should our money go?
Projects such as EbolaCheck should be at the forefront of our efforts against a crisis on this scale. Focusing attention solely on the virus itself allows us to tell a sentimental story about an exotic killer that can turn kisses and tears into death sentences. But untreated malaria kills Liberians and has racked up a much larger body count than Ebola.
Though not nearly as glamorous, we need to build infrastructure, not awareness. It seems harsh to discredit Geldof and others like him for their efforts in fighting this crisis in West Africa. Band Aid 30 made over £308,000 in its first week. It is important however to really be constructive about where we direct these cash flows.
These groundbreaking new research developments, led by a small team right here in our city, have the potential to transform our understanding of the disease.
Directing funding and donations into establishments like the ELRHA is far more productive than merely raising awareness and brings the fight against Ebola much closer to home.