MONROVIA, Liberia
While Ebola continues to claim lives, authorities in Liberia are fighting the deadly virus on multiple fronts, not the least of which are growing public doubts and myths – even denial that the disease exists.
"We are going through so many challenges fighting this Ebola, especially with this huge problem of illiteracy among the population," Assistant Minister for Preventive Services Tolbert Nyenswah told Anadolu Agency
He said widespread misbeliefs and doubts were major factors in the rising death toll since the outbreak of the virus in the West African state.
"Right now, we have a total of 108 deaths, including nine health workers," Nyenswah said. "This will even increase in a few weeks because of too much denial and myths among the public."
Since the second outbreak of the disease on May 29, the toll has grown fast – unlike a first outbreak in March that only killed six people.
The ministry says the death toll continues to increase because too many people continue to come in contact with those infected.
Some believe Ebola is a curse that has been unleashed on Liberia, while others say the disease does not exist.
"There is nothing called Ebola. The move by the Health Ministry announcement that there's Ebola is just meant to scare us from our traditional practices of hand shake and giving our families befitting burial," Amara Trawally, a student at the University of Liberia, told AA.
Liberians are accustomed to shaking hands and hugging, but since the outbreak of the virus, health authorities have warned against such practices.
Trawally further argues that "the Health Ministry says Ebola symptoms are the collection of almost all other illnesses, like Malaria, diarrheal, cough and bleeding."
"This makes me not even believe [it exists] because people have always been dying of malaria and diarrhea – why now? They just want to eat money," he said.
Families whose relatives die of the virus are often at odds with the health authorities as they demand traditional burial ceremonies and refuse to admit their loved ones died of Ebola.
"Families and community dwellers are hiding and refusing to report people suspected of Ebola, thereby making their families and community vulnerable. As soon as they know it, the person is already dead," said Nyenswah.
"In some instances, we ask the national police to help our burial team to remove bodies from the victims' home or community to the grave-sites due to tensions from relatives of the victim," Nyenswah told AA.
The Liberian Senate has been debating whether or not to declare a state of emergency as the Ebola death toll continuous to rise.
A final decision has not yet been reached.
Ebola, a contagious disease for which there is no known treatment or cure, is responsible for the death of hundreds in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The tropical fever, which first appeared in 1976 in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, can be transmitted to humans from wild animals and also spreads through human-to-human transmission.
-Myths-
Liberia's health authorities are battling rumors that there were vaccines to prevent people from contracting the virus.
"There is no vaccine for Ebola, not even the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed such," Nyenswah said.
News had recently circulated in Monrovia about such a vaccine, but the ministry has threatened to prosecute anyone claiming to administer any such vaccines.
The price of bitter kola, a nut just about the size of a finger, has doubled after news reports that it cured Ebola.
Bitter kola is eaten by most Liberian men.
Some believe it is a good traditional treatment for fever and malaria, while others say it builds sexual potency – neither of which has ever been medically tested or proved.
Spiritual healers, imams and pastors claiming to cure people of the virus now risk getting in trouble with local health authorities.
Two prayer houses have recently been closed down by the Ministry of Health.
-Awareness-
Nyenswah said the ministry was engaging local and international partners to increase awareness of the disease throughout the country.
It has embarked on a series of measures aimed at addressing the growing number of Ebola deaths.
The measures include awareness messages through radio stations and civil society; the training of religious and civil society organizations; securing and distributing protective equipment; and providing telephone hotlines so the public can report suspected Ebola cases in their communities.
"We are targeting the media because it is the fastest means to reach the population," Reverend John Sumo, director of health promotion at the Health Ministry, told AA.
"If there must be a reduction in the number of deaths, it depends on the kind of messages the media is giving the public," he said.
Throughout the country, radio stations are broadcasting messages and songs cautioning the public against the virus.
Some of the messages advise people against shaking hands; others call for reporting people who show symptoms of the virus via the Health Ministry's phone hotlines.
The ministry, in its effort to break the cycle of denial, has produced a short video documentary that is being screened at various schools campuses, communities and television stations.
"People are saying they want to see Ebola patients before they can believe [it exists]," says the video, which goes on to show people who have the virus and the burial of Ebola victims.
Religious communities, civil society and community youth organizations are also being trained by the Health Ministry to help carry out community outreach activities.
The WHO, UNICEF, USAID, the Center for Disease Control, the Samaritan Purse and the International Committee of the Red Cross have all joined the Liberian government in providing materials and financial support to help combat the disease.
Nevertheless, Harris Kokeh, another young Liberian man, remains skeptical.
"I saw the video the ministry is screening around town. The bodies of those people whom the ministry claimed died of Ebola look like people who died of ordinary sickness," he told AA.
"Let them stop fooling us," he added.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
