(ANS – Lusaka) – Fr Silvio Roggia, Vice Provincial of the West Africa English-speaking Province, at present in Lusaka, Zambia, reflects for the benefit of  ANS readers on the Ebola virus, its spread and ways to meet the emergency.

In the airports I have passed through it was impossible not to be struck by a common denominator: Ebola. Posters, special checks for all arriving from West Africa, disinfecting the hands before showing papers...  If the  virus is not present in most of the countries fear of it arriving certainly is. 

Recently the Hon. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, South African Foreign Minister who is the current President of the Union of African States invited governments to combine together the greatest prudence with the greatest cooperation. A difficult balance: the tendency to barricade oneself at home and draw up the bridge is shared also at international level in response to the imperative demand not to join the list of those countries affected, even though only one individual in their country were infected by the virus.

But if this means total isolation for those already found in extreme difficulty on account of an emergency very difficult to manage by any country, the danger is that countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea descend into a spiral of crises general, economic, social and political and then total disaster. If this happens, we are all the losers. The whole of Africa. The whole world. The virus does not need to show its passport in order to cross the frontiers and if the general situation gets out of control no frontiers will be safe.

When the barricades go up and people become indifferent to the neighbour who is dying the boomerang effect is soon felt. It has always been like that. The difference is that in this crisis the consequences of “none intervention” would be much more serious and widespread than other crises have caused in the past.

From Monrovia, Josephat, the leader of the group “Dominic Savio & Don Bosco”, informs us that at present the situation is such that the government and FIFA are considering using the football grounds  as isolation centres for affected patients since there is no more room in the hospitals. They need to prepare at least 1000 beds.”

It seems that UNO will take direct reponsibility for managing the health emergency in Monrovia, and will also reopen some of its connections for flights between the capital Monrovia and nearby countries (the other companies have suspended their flights). This is certainly a positive step; as also is the provision of the possibility of health assistance as soon as the first symptoms appear and also improvement in the  possibility of a cure for the virus which can reach 50% (compared with 90% “fatalities” that occurred at the beginning).

As regards  what Josephat and his group are doing, Fr Rapahel, his confreres and the young people at Matadi-Monrovia; Fr Paul and the other Salesians  at Freetown; those on the front line in the hospitals: all of this has an immense value and is an expression of charity “without limits”. Whatever is done for this brother or sister remains from ever.

Published 18/09/2014