News outlets report on the WHO’s updated numbers of Ebola cases and deaths, as well as the agency’s warnings the epidemic is not yet under control.

Reuters: Ebola deaths reach 3,338, but widely undercounted, WHO says
“The death toll from the world’s worst Ebola outbreak on record reached 3,338 people out of 7,178 cases in West Africa as of Sept. 28, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. It said the total number of new cases had fallen for a second week, but warned against reading any good news into the figures as they were almost certainly under-reported and there were few signs of the epidemic being brought under control…” (Miles, 10/1).

Wall Street Journal: Ebola Virus Has Killed More Than 3,300 People, WHO Says
“More than 3,300 people have died from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, according to the World Health Organization, as the deadly virus continues to spread. In an update, the United Nations health agency said 3,338 had died of confirmed, suspected, or probable cases of Ebola through Sept. 28. A total of 7,178 cases have been reported…” (Stynes, 10/1).

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News outlets report on experts’ scrutiny over why the U.S. Ebola patient was allowed to leave a Dallas hospital last week after he disclosed his travel from Liberia.

ABC News: Ebola Patient Was Released From Texas Hospital Despite Telling Nurse He Had Been in West Africa
“Even though a sick patient later diagnosed with Ebola told an emergency room nurse at a Texas hospital that he had recently traveled from West Africa, the nurse failed to pass on that information to other hospital staff, and that man was released from the hospital with antibiotics, officials said [Wednesday]… (Neporent, 10/1).

The Hill: GOP rep: ‘Don’t overlook’ Ebola patients’ travel histories
“Texas Rep. Michael Burgess (R) said Wednesday that doctors should check whether patients have visited Ebola-stricken countries when they perform checkups in light of the first confirmed U.S. case of the deadly disease…” (Laing, 10/1).

New York Times: Scrutiny in Texas to Detect Whether Ebola Has Spread
“The man who has become the first Ebola patient to develop symptoms in the United States told officials at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital last Friday that he had just arrived from West Africa but was not admitted that day because that information was not passed along at the hospital, officials acknowledged Wednesday…” (Fernandez/Onishi, 10/1).

Reuters: Experts question two-day delay in admitting Texas Ebola patient
“The first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola in a U.S. hospital was evaluated initially and turned away, a critical missed opportunity that could result in others being exposed to the deadly virus, infectious disease experts said…” (Steenhuysen/Begley, 10/1).

Washington Post: Ebola patient was allowed to leave Dallas hospital last week
“…Dallas County health officials say they are continuing to monitor the patient’s family members and are checking for symptoms twice each day. The state health department said they have no other suspected cases­ at this point…” (Berman/Nutt, 10/1).

Washington Post: Texas Ebola patient told hospital of travel from West Africa but was released
“…The man returned two days later and was placed in isolation before he became the first person ever diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. But as a result of this lapse, Thomas Duncan was able to leave the hospital and interact with more people while experiencing symptoms, which is when the virus becomes contagious…” (Berman, 10/1).

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News outlets report on local reactions in Dallas, Texas, after a Liberian who traveled to the state became the first-ever case of Ebola diagnosed in the U.S.

The Hill: U.S. Ebola fears grow
“Fears are rising about the spread of Ebola in Texas after health officials revealed an infected patient had come into contact with nearly 20 people over the weekend…” (Viebeck, 10/1).

The Hill: Parents fearing Ebola pull kids from school
“Some Dallas parents pulled their children out of school Wednesday after health officials said five area children had come into contact with an Ebola patient over the weekend. The five children were kept at home Wednesday, but that did not stop families from picking up their kids out of fears they might be vulnerable to illness, according to local news reports…” (Viebeck, 10/1).

The Hill: Dallas braces for second Ebola case
“Dallas health officials are bracing for a possible second case of the deadly Ebola virus connected to the infected man now in isolation. Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Zachary Thompson said there is one particular contact of the patient who he fears may have Ebola…” (Viebeck, 10/1).

National Geographic: More Ebola Cases Expected in U.S. But Officials Confident of Containment
“A day after announcing the first diagnosis of an Ebola case in the United States, public health officials and experts on Wednesday said they expect more cases to enter the U.S. and it’s uncertain how far the disease will spread, even as they worked to reassure the public that the virus would be contained…” (Weintraub, 10/1).

Wall Street Journal: U.S. Monitors Contacts of Ebola Patient in Texas
“Health authorities are monitoring for symptoms of Ebola in at least a dozen people who came into contact with a Liberian man before he was hospitalized in Dallas, moving to contain the deadly disease before it can spread further in the U.S….” (Koppel et al., 10/1).

Wall Street Journal: Liberians in Texas Struggle With Fear, Ostracism Over Ebola
“…Since the news broke of the Dallas case on Tuesday, the local Liberian community has been in turmoil. Some are fearful they might have come into contact with the sick man, Thomas Eric Duncan. Others worry that people will ostracize them because of the connection between Liberia and Ebola…” (Campoy, 10/1).

Washington Post: Rick Perry: Texas is ready to handle Ebola case, school-aged children came in contact with patient
“Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said in a news conference Tuesday the state was equipped to handle the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States, and said ‘some school-aged children had contact’ with the patient and are being monitored at home…” (Schwarz, 10/1).

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Washington Post: Ebola panic in America might help save lives in Africa
“…In an ideal world, America’s Ebola panic will come with a silver lining: a recognition that Ebola is a truly global problem, and protecting the health of Americans will probably start by saving the lives of thousands of people in West Africa. Americans already seem well aware that helping other nations with their health problems can help Americans — a 2013 Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 68 percent of respondents felt that spending money on improving health care in developing countries would help protect Americans from infectious diseases such as SARS, bird flu, and swine flu…” (Taylor, 10/1).

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News outlets report on actions by some nations to institute travel restrictions in an attempt to keep Ebola from spreading. The U.S. says it will not enact restrictions, despite having diagnosed the first Ebola case in the U.S. on Tuesday in a man who traveled from Liberia to Texas.

The Hill: White House: No Ebola travel restrictions
“The White House said Wednesday it will not impose travel restrictions or introduce new airport screenings to prevent additional cases of Ebola from entering the United States. Spokesman Josh Earnest said that current anti-Ebola measures, which include screenings in West African airports and observation of passengers in the United States, will be sufficient to prevent the ‘wide spread’ of the virus…” (Viebeck, 10/1).

NPR: Africa’s ‘Switzerland’ Bans Ebola — But At What Cost?
“Most African nations have responded to their Ebola-affected neighbors by canceling flights and closing borders. The logic driving this isolationism has little to do with advice from the World Health Organization. … The tiny island nation of Mauritius is the latest to join the NIMBY chorus; its Prime Minister has ordered that all foreign nationals be refused entry if they have stepped foot in an Ebola-affected country any time in the past two months. The maximum known incubation period for the virus is just three weeks…” (Warner, 10/1).

Washington Post: These countries are tightening their borders over Ebola fears — against expert advice
“…Travel restrictions are seen as ineffective at controlling outbreaks like this, and they are likely to cause serious problems with the treatment and containment of Ebola. In fact, health experts are often damning about the use of travel restrictions in these situations…” (Taylor, 10/2).

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News outlets report on how the U.S.’s first confirmed case of Ebola is affecting airlines.

Foreign Policy: The First Ebola Case in the U.S. Is Also Scaring Investors
“The Ebola outbreak has been hammering the economies of West Africa for weeks. The first confirmed Ebola case inside the United States is now hitting the nation’s biggest airlines, raising fears that the American economy could start to feel the disease’s impact as well…” (Trindle, 10/1).

Politico: Airlines face Ebola fallout
“Health experts say travelers face little risk of contracting Ebola on airplanes, but the disease’s arrival in the United States is bringing new worries about its ability to hop between countries and continents…” (Wolfe, 10/1).

Reuters: U.S. airlines in contact with government about Ebola concerns
“Several leading U.S. airlines said on Wednesday they were in close contact with federal health officials about Ebola-related travel concerns after a traveler infected with the deadly virus was diagnosed on U.S. soil…” (Datsin, 10/1).

Wall Street Journal: Ebola Case in U.S. Gives Airline Investors the Jitters
“The first Ebola case diagnosed in the U.S. gave airline investors the jitters Wednesday, as they tried to gauge the potential impact of the episode on demand for air travel…” (Ostrower/Carey, 10/1).

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News outlets report on details of the U.S. Ebola patient’s travel path from Liberia to Dallas and the low risk he posed to other travelers.

Associated Press: Man with Ebola virus flew roundabout trip to U.S.
“…Details of the man’s 28-hour trip from western Africa emerged Wednesday. He flew on two airlines, took three flights, and had lengthy airport layovers before reaching Texas on Sept. 20…” (Koenig/Mayerowitz, 10/1).

The Hill: Ebola patient arrived in U.S. via Brussels
“The U.S. patient recently diagnosed with Ebola flew through Brussels on his way to Texas, Canada’s top health leader said Wednesday. The Canadian official’s statement raises alarms for Europe and increases pressure on the U.S. to release more details on the infected patient’s path from Liberia…” (Ferris, 10/1).

The Hill: U.S. Ebola patient flew United Airlines from D.C.
“The first person to be diagnosed with the deadly Ebola virus in the U.S. flew on a pair of United Airlines’ flights last month, the company confirmed on Wednesday. The company said the Ebola-stricken passenger traveled on its Flight 951 from Brussels to Washington’s Dulles International Airport and then connected to its Flight 822 to Dallas…” (Laing, 10/1).

The Hill: CDC: ‘No risk’ to passengers who shared flight with Ebola patient
“The Centers for Disease Control is saying that there was no risk of catching the Ebola virus to passengers who shared a recent commercial airline flight with the first confirmed U.S. patient, according to a Dallas Morning News report…” (Laing, 10/1).

New York Times: Man in U.S. With Ebola Had Been Screened to Fly, but System Is Spotty
“As he was preparing to leave Liberia for Dallas two weeks ago, Thomas E. Duncan, the man confirmed to be the first Ebola case in the United States, was checked at the airport for signs of the disease. He was determined to have no fever and allowed to board his flight, American officials say. … But the system has its limits, relying on the traveler to reveal whether he or she has been exposed…” (Wald/Mouawad, 10/1).

Reuters: Liberia says U.S. Ebola case showed no symptoms before travel
“The man who is being treated for Ebola in the United States after travelling to Texas from Liberia showed no signs of fever or symptoms of the virus when he left the country on Sept. 19, the Liberian government said on Wednesday…” (10/1).

Washington Post: Texas Ebola patient traveled through Dulles International Airport
“According to officials at United Airlines, the man who has the first case of Ebola to be diagnosed in the United States flew from Brussels through Dulles International Airport and then on to Dallas-Fort Worth on Sept. 20. The airline emphasized that the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is ‘zero risk of transmission’ on any flight, since the man did not develop symptoms until several days after he completed his trip…” (Aratani, 10/1).

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Media sources report on how inequality is hindering West Africa’s response to Ebola and making it easier for the virus to spread.

Agence France-Presse: Africa’s uneven health care becomes easy prey for Ebola
“Threatened by the possible spread of an Ebola epidemic which respects no borders, Africa is divided between a handful of countries equipped to withstand an outbreak and many more which would be devastated, experts say…” (Ettaba, 10/1).

Reuters: World Bank chief says Ebola outbreak shows harm of inequality
“Fighting the Ebola epidemic means confronting the issue of inequality, as people in poor countries have less access to knowledge and infrastructure for treating the sick and containing the deadly virus, the head of the World Bank said…” (Yukhananov, 10/1).

Washington Post: What the Ebola outbreak tells us about global inequality
“… ‘Thousands of people in these countries are dying because, in the lottery of birth, they were born in the wrong place,’ World Bank President Jim Kim said in a speech Wednesday morning in Washington. ‘This pandemic shows the deadly cost of unequal access to basic services and the consequences of our failure to fix this problem’…” (Mui, 10/1).

World Bank: Speech by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim at Howard University: “Boosting Shared Prosperity”
The World Bank provides a transcript of prepared remarks delivered by World Bank President Jim Yong Kim at Howard University on Wednesday (10/1).

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News outlets report on various aspects of developing, testing, and distributing experimental vaccines and treatments for Ebola.

CNBC: Ebola vaccine: Why it’s taking so long to make one
“…Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who is undergoing treatment for Ebola and listed in serious condition in Dallas, won’t be getting the experimental drug ZMapp used on several international aid workers and medical staff, including at least two other Americans. That’s because the company that makes ZMapp, Mapp Biopharmaceutical, has run out of supplies. This just highlights how difficult it is to develop new medicines…” (Koba, 10/1).

New York Times: U.S. Will Increase Production of the Ebola Drug ZMapp, but May Not Meet Demand
“Federal officials are planning to sharply increase production of ZMapp, which is viewed by many experts as the most promising experimental drug for treating people infected with Ebola in West Africa…” (Pollack, 10/1).

Reuters: GlaxoSmithKline, NewLink working to bring Ebola vaccines online: WHO
“Both GlaxoSmithKline and NewLink Genetics are working to boost their capacity to make Ebola vaccines, with a goal of a ‘very significant increase in scale during the first half of 2015,’ the World Health Organization said on Wednesday…” (Nebehay, 10/1).

Reuters: Canada vaccine shipped to Geneva, U.S. hospitals as precaution
“Canada has shipped small amounts of its experimental vaccine for the Ebola virus to hospitals in Geneva and Atlanta, Georgia, for possible use by exposed health care workers, Canadian chief public health officer Greg Taylor said on Wednesday…” (Nickel, 10/1).

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News outlets report on Australia’s increased commitment of $16 million to assist with Ebola response efforts and Médecins Sans Frontières’s (MSF) criticism of Australia’s decision to donate funds but not personnel to the fight.

Agence France-Presse: MSF rejects Australian cash, asking for medics instead
“Global aid agency Doctors Without Borders said on Wednesday it had rejected cash for the Ebola response from Australia, asking the country instead to deploy desperately needed medical teams to West Africa. Canberra offered 2.5 million Australian dollars ($2.2 million, 1.7 million euros), said the charity, known by its French initials MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières)…” (10/1).

Associated Press: Australia lifts Ebola donation to $16 million
“Australia more than doubled its donation to the fight against Ebola in West Africa to 18 million Australian dollars ($16 million) on Thursday, but resisted demands to send personnel…” (McGuirk, 10/2).

Reuters: Australia criticized for not sending medical staff to fight Ebola
“Australia on Thursday announced additional funds for tackling Ebola but ruled out sending medical staff to Sierra Leone, prompting criticism for medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières that it was failing to meet its commitment…” (Packham, 10/1).

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News outlets report on the death of a U.N. worker who likely died of Ebola.

Associated Press: U.N. says 1st staffer dies of ‘probable’ Ebola
“The United Nations said Wednesday a staff member in Liberia has died from ‘probable Ebola,’ while the World Health Organization said it was optimistic that an Ebola vaccine could be available for mass vaccination campaigns as early as 2015…” (Anna, 10/1).

New York Times: Ebola Suspected in U.N. Worker’s Death
“…The victim, a Liberian woman, had worked for the peacekeeping mission in Liberia for nearly a decade, almost from the time the United Nations arrived in the country to help it rebuild after years of crippling civil war. She fell ill on Sept. 20 and died Monday, the United Nations said…” (Sengupta, 10/1).

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NPR: Europe’s ‘Moral Obligation’ Is To Repair West Africa’s Health Care System
“It’s not just about Ebola. That’s the message from E.U. Health Commissioner Tonio Borg. He was in Washington last week to talk about Europe’s response to the crisis at a meeting of the Global Health Security Agenda. The European Union is a key player in the global effort to stop the epidemic. [NPR’s] Goats and Soda sat down with Borg and learned that his focus is twofold: Stop the epidemic and repair the devastated health care systems of West Africa…” (Beaubien, 10/1).

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News outlets report on a London conference to address Ebola, as well as the International Development Committee’s (IDC) call for the U.K. to restore planned budget cuts for Sierra Leone and Liberia in light of Ebola and act on efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) in Sierra Leone.

Reuters: Britain calls for international help on Ebola as London conference begins
“Britain made a plea for international help to deal with the world’s worst Ebola outbreak at the start of a conference in London on Thursday, with one charity warning that five people are being infected with the virus every hour in Sierra Leone. … Speaking on Thursday before the ‘Defeating Ebola’ conference began, Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, called for countries to increase financial aid as well as other vital help including medical expertise, transport, and supplies…” (Holden, 10/2).

Thomson Reuters Foundation: U.K. must restore aid for Sierra Leone and Liberia: report
“Britain must restore planned cuts in its aid budget for Sierra Leone and Liberia in light of the Ebola crisis sweeping through West Africa, a parliamentary committee said on Thursday…” (Guilbert, 10/1).

Thomson Reuters Foundation: U.K. must channel aid to fight FGM in Sierra Leone: lawmakers
“Britain must set up a program to tackle female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone, where the practice is seen as a prerequisite for marriage and even used as a political tool, a parliamentary committee said…” (Batha, 10/2).

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News outlets publish articles on various aspects of the Ebola epidemic and response.

International Business Times: Ebola Outbreak: Five People Infected Every Hour In Sierra Leone, Says NGO (Shankar, 10/2).
Nature: Ebola outbreak shuts down malaria-control efforts (Hayden, 10/1).
Newsweek: Officials Warn Ebola Outbreak Is Morphing Into a Humanitarian Crisis (Westcott, 10/1).
New York Times: A Hospital From Hell, in a City Swamped by Ebola (Nossiter, 10/1).
Reuters: U.S. relief group sending key supplies to Liberia to fight Ebola (Jenkins, 10/1).
U.N. News Centre: U.N., Liberia assessing food security impact of Ebola outbreak, planning response (10/1).
USA TODAY: Putting Ebola’s risks into perspective (Szabo, 10/2).
Wall Street Journal: Ebola Could Cause ‘Economic Collapse’ Guinea’s President Warns (Salvaterra, 10/1).
Washington Post: When Ebola comes to the U.S., who stands to profit? (Ohlheiser, 10/1).

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Media outlets report on the outcomes of the WHO Emergency Committee meeting on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

CIDRAP: WHO panel: MERS still not an international emergency
“Following a summer lull of MERS-CoV cases but a renewed trickle in recent weeks, and amid worldwide worries about Ebola, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Emergency Committee on MERS has concluded that the outbreak still falls short of representing a public health emergency of international concern…” (Roos, 10/1).

Reuters: Reeling from Ebola, WHO warns of MERS risk to Africa
“Vulnerable countries, especially in Africa, need to defend themselves against the possible seasonal spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in the first half of 2015, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. A WHO Emergency Committee recommended steps ‘to strengthen infection prevention control practices, build capacity of health care workers, and provide protective equipment in vulnerable countries, especially African countries’…” (Miles, 10/1).

WHO: WHO statement on the Seventh Meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding MERS-CoV
“The seventh meeting of the Emergency Committee (EC) convened by the Director-General under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) regarding the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was conducted with members and advisers of the Emergency Committee through electronic correspondence from 26 September 2014 through 30 September 2014. The WHO Secretariat provided an update on and assessment of epidemiological and scientific developments, including a description of recently reported cases and transmission patterns…” (10/1).

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Agence France-Presse: DR Congo Ebola outbreak has killed 42 since August
“The Democratic Republic of Congo raised its death toll from the Ebola virus to 42 on Wednesday as it struggled to contain the second outbreak of the disease in Africa this year. The latest figures include eight health workers, Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi said in a message sent to AFP…” (10/1).

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U.N. News Centre: In Geneva, U.N. chief stresses central role of human rights in global humanitarian efforts
“Amid mounting crises, a warming planet, and the spread of contagious diseases, the world is being consumed by ‘many troubles,’ United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said [Wednesday] as he pressed the international community to engage in ‘unprecedented cooperation’ as it faces a slew of global predicaments…” (10/1).

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The Guardian: South Asians with ‘neglected diseases’ pay high economic and social price
“…About 1.3 billion people are at risk from this ‘neglected disease of the poor’ [lymphatic filariasis (LF)] and 120 million people are affected, living with varying degrees of disability caused by chronic swelling of the extremities or genitals, debilitating fevers, or enlargement of the scrotum (hydrocoele). One-third of these people live in 15 Indian states. … For affected households, living standards are lower. People affected by LF lose, on average, one month of income every year because of disabilities and fevers. Health care costs are also much higher…” (Chonghaile, 10/1).

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The following opinion pieces discuss various issues related to the Ebola epidemic.

Vox: Why we fail at stopping outbreaks like Ebola
Julia Belluz, health reporter, and Steven Hoffman, assistant professor at McMaster University and visiting assistant professor at Harvard University

“…We’ve had outbreaks before, and they show us we’re not prepared. Our global health systems have repeatedly proven themselves ineffective in identifying and responding to this kind of disease outbreak. We’ve known about these weaknesses and inadequacies for years yet have done little about them. For disease outbreaks, it’s clear we have to take lessons learned from past failures more seriously. Complacency has cost lives — in this outbreak alone, already more than 3,000 and counting” (10/1).

Washington Post: Reporting on Ebola: First rule is you don’t touch anyone
Lenny Bernstein, blogger and journalist

“…You don’t touch anyone in Liberia. … It is the rule of rules, because while everyone able is taking precautions, you just can’t be sure where the invisible, lethal Ebola virus might be. … Maintaining that constant vigilance, especially while wearing long sleeves and pouring sweat in the Liberian humidity, is mentally taxing. As is watching the virus’s mounting toll day after day. It’s almost impossible not to slip…” (10/1).

Foreign Policy: Obamacare May Hold the Key to Saving the U.S. from Ebola
Laurie Garrett, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations

“…America’s special vulnerability to Ebola is its limitations on access to health care. In times of contagion, societal risk rises with every uninsured or underinsured individual who struggles to work or go to school with a fever, and avoids bankrupting visits to health providers. One doesn’t need to have a political position up or down on ‘Obamacare’ to recognize and solve this” (10/1).

The Guardian: The focus on first U.S. Ebola case shows how cheaply we value African lives
Owen Jones, columnist and author

“…The sad reality is that African victims will continue to suffer an excruciating death, denied of basic dignity, drowning in their own fluids. As they do so, they will remain nameless and forgotten, except to their forever mourning relatives. Westerners, on the other hand, will be flown out, treated and become near-celebrities. Perhaps some are resigned to such a disparity, believing that this is the inevitable way of the world. I tend to differ: it is perverse, and it is unjust” (10/1).

The Hill: ISIS and Ebola — Two sides of the same coin
Rachel Kleinfeld, senior associate in the Democracy and Rule of Law Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

“The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is ravaging the Levant and Ebola is terrifying West Africa — but other than the fear both engender, there seems to be little linkage between a raging insurgency and a contagious disease. But appearances are deceiving. In fact, both ISIS and Ebola have the same root cause: failed governance…” (10/1).

New York Times: Living With the Terror of Ebola
Alexis Okeowo, author

“…This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Nigeria is now nearly Ebola-free. That declaration hasn’t changed how Lagosians think about our new reality, though. We are all on edge, and becoming accustomed to the realization that we are dangerously vulnerable to other people, both close to us and over our borders. It is the slow-burning shock of realizing that Ebola is not going away anytime soon…” (10/1).

Politico: The Ebola Epidemic Is About to Get Worse. Much Worse.
Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota

“…In the end, the only guaranteed solution to ending this Ebola crisis is to develop, manufacture, and deliver an effective Ebola vaccine, potentially to most of the people in West Africa, and maybe even to most of the population of the African continent. … While the U.S. government has done more than other international players to support the possibility of developing an effective vaccine, current efforts still fall short of what is needed to implement an effective vaccination strategy…” (9/30).

CNBC: How big data could help stop the Ebola outbreak
David Richards, co-founder and CEO of WANdisco

“…Used in the right way, big data can help authorities intervene much more effectively. But we need to take a forward-looking approach that captures and utilizes as much data as possible, interpreting it smartly to better understand the lifestyle, environment, and behavior of those affected. The CDC predicts up to 1.4 million people could be affected by January next year. Let us hope that by using big data as one of the tools to fight this epidemic it won’t get to that” (10/1).

The Guardian: No, Ebola in Dallas does not mean you and everyone else in the U.S. is going to get it, too
Tara Smith, associate professor of epidemiology at Kent State University

“…It’s not out of the realm of possibility that we’ll see other cases here in the U.S., but, seriously: relax. We got this. … It’s natural to dread death and to fear the exotic, the unknown. But we can’t let our fears — particularly when they’re not rational — overwhelm the global response that is so necessary, right now. That response requires calm, for patients here in the U.S. and abroad. What we need is the opposite of panic” (9/30).

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Devex: Find the parasite
Martin Edlund, CEO of Malaria No More

“…Misinformation is one of the big reasons malaria continues to kill a child at the rate of nearly one every 60 seconds. Solving the information challenge is going to be key if we’re going to end this disease, and no piece of information is more vital than knowing who is carrying the parasite and who isn’t. … Armed with new diagnostics, we’ll be in a position to take the fight to the parasite. Instead of passively waiting for sick people to show up at clinics, they will enable us to go on the offense: actively testing and treating entire communities to find and root out malaria, while ensuring the type of treatment provided to patients will be safe and effective…” (10/1).

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Inter Press Service: On Reproductive Rights, Progress with Concerns
Joseph Chamie, former director of the United Nations Population Division

“…During the past half-century remarkable technological progress has been made in human reproduction. As a result of this medical progress, women and men have acquired wide-ranging reproductive rights and technologies to determine the number, timing, and spacing of their children and to overcome childlessness with biological offspring. The new reproductive technologies, however, have also given rise to serious theological, ethical, and legal concerns that have not been satisfactorily addressed. Anticipated future medical breakthroughs in human reproduction make it even more imperative for the international community of nations to address the growing challenges and concerns regarding reproductive technologies and rights” (10/1).

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Several blog posts discuss different aspects of the Ebola epidemic.

Humanosphere: Ebola comes to the U.S. and loses its deadly punch
Development blogger Tom Murphy writes, “Ebola garners global attention for being a merciless killer in sub-Saharan Africa. But its high fatality rate is due largely to bad health care, say experts. … Ebola’s arrival in the United States will be dramatically different. With better health care, Ebola doesn’t stand much of a chance…” (10/1).

USAID’s “IMPACTblog”: Andrew Hill: “There’s no standard blueprint for an Ebola treatment unit.”
Photojournalist Morgana Wingard, who is with USAID staff in Liberia documenting the response to Ebola, profiles U.S. Army Civil Engineer Andrew Hill and his team’s efforts to design and implement Ebola Treatment Units in conjunction with U.N. and NGO partners (10/1).

U.S. Global Leadership Coalition: The 37 Corporations Working to Contain Ebola
Jonathan Ewing, USGLC’s digital communications manager, highlights the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s “running list of corporations who have responded to the Ebola outbreak in Africa…” (10/1).

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USAID: USAID Assistant Administrator Dr. Pablos-Mendez Travels to South Africa for Health Systems Research Symposium
“U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Assistant Administrator for the Bureau of Global Health Ariel Pablos-Mendez is in Cape Town, South Africa, through October 3 for the Third Global Symposium on Health Systems Research. The conference focuses on cutting-edge research that addresses the development of people-centered health systems…” (9/30).

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Health Affairs Blog: Is A Study Of HIV Treatment For Mothers In Africa Unethical?
Tim Lahey, an HIV physician and a medical educator at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and chair of the bioethics committee at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, examines ethical questions surrounding the “multinational PROMISE study (for Promoting Maternal and Infant Survival Everywhere) [that] is enrolling thousands of pregnant women with HIV in hopes of comparing mortality and other clinical outcomes between mothers who receive lifelong HIV therapy to mothers who receive shorter treatment durations if they have less advanced HIV disease…” (10/1).

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