Ebola in West Africa

Outline

Name of Student

Name of Institution

Executive Summary

This is the most important part of the paper as it wraps up the whole discussion from the introduction all the way up to the conclusion. You may call it “Abstract” if you so wish. Briefly state what each segment of the paper is all about – remember it is a summary. This paper will be split into seven parts. Part I (the introduction), part II (the background information on Ebola in both West Africa and the US), part III (the first major point – Ebola in West Africa), part IV (the second major point – Ebola in the US), part V (the third major point – the point of connection between Ebola in West Africa and the US), part VI (local measures taken in West Africa to handle the virus), part VII (local measures taken in the US to handle the virus), Part VIII (the international response to the virus), part IX (the way forward – include recommendations) and part X (conclusion – again, sum up what the paper has talked about).

Introduction

At this stage, introduce your topic. State the current problem – Ebola. Why is it a problem both to the US and West Africa? Why are you out to research on this issue? In essence, prepare the reader for the entire work. You have to mention why Ebola is a serious concern in your target population. Mention key terms, including the virus strains that you will be focusing on and try to define them briefly. Finally, come up with a thesis statement, which should occupy the last line of the paragraph. The introduction should be extensive enough to set ground for the entire paper.

Background Information

This part is equally important too. The reader has to capture the historical overview of Ebola to understand what the research is all about. Tell about the first human outbreak that took place in Zaire in 1976. How did the name Ebola come to being? Well, studies establish that the virus was named after the Ebola River in Zaire where it was first recognized (Walsh, 2005). Moreover, talk about the five different strains of Ebola and how they were discovered. Give the link between the virus in animal species and human beings. What is the point of connection and when did the first virus get into the human being? How did it enter into the human being? Next, give a brief overview of the health interventions that have taken place since the discovery of Ebola. What research projects have been conducted on Ebola and what are the key findings? How will these findings inform your discussion?

Ebola in West Africa

This part has to be expansive because it is the core of the project. Get down to the roots of the matter. West Africa is quite huge and you will have to cover up to 10 different countries where the virus has been identified, including, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal and Mali. The project is about health interventions, so you will keep that as the driving factor. Identify the common Ebola strains prevalent in the region. Analyze data on casualties, how are the treatment measures implemented? Are they effective enough?

Ebola in the US

You will indulge in more or less the same thing here as you did in the foregoing section. Get the history of the Ebola problem in the US and look at the medical interventions so far implemented. What notable incidences have occurred? What are the policies surrounding the disease? Do you think that the US is doing enough to tackle the problem?

Link between Ebola in US and West Africa

It is stated that Ebola in the US found its way there from Africa. Establish this link. What implications does the link have to ether countries? Here, mention some of the policy measures that both regions have taken, including travel and health policies. What is the difference between medical interventions between the regions? Do you think it is better for West Africa to borrow a leaf from the US to handle the virus appropriately and prevent its spread?

Medical interventions in West Africa

Here, be more extensive than the previous mentions of the interventions. The aim is to find out the effectiveness of the measures and to give ground to further research on the virus. The strengths or weaknesses are very important in informing research decisions.

Medical interventions in the US

Like the foregoing section, go deep into the medical interventions in the US. It will require you to conduct official visits to Texas and other notable areas where patients have been quarantined for treatment. What is the Department of Health’s position on the issue? Are there any ongoing medical research?

International Response to the Virus

Your study majored on the US and West Africa. However, the virus has implications to the rest of the world as established by the World Health Organization (Sayburn, 2014). Analyze major international responses and interventions to the problem. It will need international cooperation to deal with the scourge. You will have to get down to research efforts and the findings to help you track your way forward, especially in the recommendations.

The Way Forward/ Recommendations

Having extensively discussed the Ebola issue and gained specific knowledge about it, you are now in a good position to recommend specific measures that can help solve the problem. These may include control and treatment measures. Mention areas such as patient placement, handling protective equipment, hand hygiene and environmental infection control for hospitals. Recommend national policy if you find any weakness.

Conclusion

Sum up the whole discussion, paying attention not to make it look like the executive summary. Here, you will flesh out the key points from the overall discussion and mention how they have played a role in driving home your point or developing your thesis.

References

Sayburn, A. (2014). WHO gives go ahead for experimental treatments to be used in Ebola

outbreak. BMJ, 349, 5161.

Walsh, P.D., Biek, R., Real, L.A. (2005). Wave-Like Spread of Ebola Zaire. PLoS Biol 3(11):

e371.