AFRICA

Ebola Epicenter

An on-scene report from the Ugandan town hit hardest by the latest outbreak of the deadly virus.

By Andrew Ehrenkranz | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Dec 11, 2007 | Updated: 6:43  p.m. ET Dec 11, 2007

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  • Posted By: Docfleck @ 12/15/2007 7:34:46 PM

    Dr.Scott Myhre and his staff are true heroes, who work under the most difficult and dangerous circumstances. Travelling recently through Uganda at the height of the Ebola crisis, with my Daughter, a nurse in Palo Alto, we met Dr.Scott Kellerman and his staff at the Hospital in Buhoma, the same general region. Dr.Kellerman is another american "miracle worker'.It is high time to highlight the honorable 'war' these Americans are fighting against disease and human misery. I nominate them for the next Nobel Peace Prize. Dr.Roland Fleck

  • Posted By: catwriter @ 12/15/2007 1:16:46 PM

    While I truly appreciate that Newsweek is covering a very important Ugandan crisis, I think it's sad that the war in Northern Uganda has received comparatively little attention while so much is going on there. The Lord's Resistance Army has captured 30,000 kids--and they either brutalize and brainwash them into child soldiers, or kill them to teach the others a lesson. We can stop it. http://www.enoughproject.org/ugandasurge

  • Posted By: atravler @ 12/15/2007 10:19:25 AM

    Mother nature is trying to do her job . Leave her alone,those people don't know how to work and support themselves and will never learn as long as we interfer.

  • Posted By: Bornita @ 12/13/2007 11:46:57 PM

    Why does Newsweek not remove racist posts?

  • Posted By: Evolutionist @ 12/12/2007 6:35:20 AM

    mmm...ebola, natures way of saying, "Theres too many damn people living in this world". Maybe itll kill millions of people that have Aids. I don't understand why people are so upset that people die there. The infectious diseases enter the US. This can not happen,...if it takes that enitre country to die to save Americans from further outbreaks,....so be it. Survival of the fittest my friends.

    • Posted By: Read and Undertand @ 12/12/2007 10:18:46 AM

      You are correct, although a bit short in your vision. Why stop at the borders? "Survival of the fittest" is interesting thing to come out of your mouth considering that MOST North Americans are over weight and NOT fit. If you want to stop at the border than stop driving Japanese cars buring Arab/Venezuelan oil with Korean radios blaring as your kids are chewing on Chinese toys and you are taking Israeli anti-depresents because your 3000 square foot home mortage payment is late getting to the German banker.
      Evolution is FOR EVERYONE and can not be stopped at a border be it physical or meta-physical or geographic.

      • Posted By: Evolutionist @ 12/12/2007 10:34:41 AM

        I think your missing the point here, Africa is a major threat to US citizens, Im very glad they can not swim that far. All Im saying is let most of them die from ebola, itll kill people with Aids also. This would be a positive thing for the western world. Trust me when I say politicians think this way but could never write it down or say this.

        • Posted By: mutesi @ 12/12/2007 11:29:12 AM

          To Evolutionist, it's evident that you have no respect for African or Africans. I'm not sure how you got that way, I can only assume that you've bought into all the negative media portrayals of Africa. As a Ugandan woman who grew up in Africa, I'm offended by your comments and blown away by your ignorance. Africa may be poor and underdeveloped, but it deserves the same respect as any other region of the world. From your post I could assume that you're an unexposed, callous and narrow-minded individual who's never left America. But I could be wrong, and I don't want to generalize about you, though you carelessly do the same about a place I call home. I would suggest you go to www.allafrica.com and read a little more about Africa, you'll get a more balanced picture of the continent there and I hope you'll reconsider your views.

          • Posted By: Evolutionist @ 12/13/2007 7:03:11 AM

            lol, "never left america" Your race is a plague among the world. Look at your people, the security of americas homeland comes first...AMERICANS COME FIRST!!! WE FEED AND POLICE THE WORLD BECUASE GENETICALLY INFERIOR RACES CAN NOT EVEN COME OUT OF THE JUNGLE. For another million years I doubt if anything would ever change there.

            • Posted By: Bornita @ 12/13/2007 11:45:36 PM

              How exactly is the race a plague? Where would you be if it weren't for the millions of Africans who built the country and made it what it is? You are going to have a very difficult life and possibly burn in hell.

            • Posted By: holidayluver @ 12/13/2007 9:37:28 PM

              I must say that your comments are nothing short of offensive. Is it right to say that some are better than others? All people originated from one place. And isn't it in our own pledge of allegiance? "With liberty and justice for all?" If you exclude one group of people, that isn't "all" people. I believe that YOU would be from an inferior race, FAR behind all others. And we do not feed and police the world, even if we have helped some. So have other countries. And I agree with all others that you need a more balanced view of the world, as well as how big your head is. A mirror should do for you.

          • Posted By: Bornita @ 12/12/2007 8:04:42 PM

            I really appreciate information about various societies from the inside, so thank you for that website! I agree that media does a lot to sully the entire world with their obsession with tragedy, they do more to enable misery than to stop it. Imbeciles, you will burn in hell I am sure. Lets all protest about the effective PROPAGANDA about non-white nations. PPPPEERRRESTROJKAA! (that's all I know). Gnitee!

        • Posted By: Bornita @ 12/12/2007 9:19:48 PM

          Well they have ships and boats and planes and helicopters...and probably some other modes of transportation I don't want to waste my time listing...There were probably a thousand Africans entering US while you wrote your stupid little comment. I can see the effects of mal-nutrition in the confused non-sensical things that drop from your mind.

          • Posted By: Evolutionist @ 12/13/2007 6:58:41 AM

            Africans on a "African made boat" coming all the way to America. ROFL , they dont even know what west and east stand for. I would not give them that much credit...the women are so freaking uneducated that they dont know how they get pregnant, lol!

    • Posted By: Bornita @ 12/12/2007 7:56:46 PM

      You should probably take a course in evolution . Ban this person from this section.

  • Posted By: BeeWeezy @ 12/13/2007 2:56:38 PM

    This is truly a tragic event happening in Uganda and no real American will ever posts such hate filled and obviously mentally unstable remarks as what "evolutionist" posted. I used the lower case "e" for his name because he is not important enough or even worth the effort stroke to identify him as a proper noun because there is absolutely nothing proper about what he has said. I pray for those going thru this terrible outbreak and will begin letting other Americans know how truly blessed they and to give as much as possible to help the people of this country.

  • Posted By: BeeWeezy @ 12/13/2007 2:54:01 PM

    This is truly a tragic event happening in Uganda and no real American will ever posts such hate filled and obviously mentally unstable remarks as what "evolutionist" posted. I used the lower case e for his name because he is not important enough or even worth the effort to identify him as a proper noun. There is nothing proper about this jerk. I pray for those going thru this terrible outbreak and will begin letting other Americans know how truly blessed they and to give as much as possible to help the people of this country.

  • Posted By: lessur @ 12/13/2007 8:20:38 AM

    Is "Evolutionist" a teenager?? You talk about uneducated and inferior, what do you think you sound like?? Shut up, no one wants to hear you!

  • Posted By: lessur @ 12/13/2007 8:19:07 AM

    Is "Evolutionist" a teenager?? You talk about uneducated and inferior races, what do you think about the way you sound?? Shut up, no one wants to hear you.

  • Posted By: Kaley's friend @ 12/12/2007 7:12:08 AM

    We need a world wide study of ebola that will seek for excellent treatment and a cure. It is a challenge Humanity has to accept its responsibility and attack what is attacking it. A Malthusian attitude toward these suffering people is callous and irresponsible. Grow up, Evolutionist! Learn to become like your heavenly Father who loves and provides mankind with wisdom in these crises.

    • Posted By: Evolutionist @ 12/12/2007 8:00:00 AM

      If you care so much then why dont you quit your day job and go over there to help. Make sure you have security with you becuase those people will probably kill you onsight. lol Freaking barbarians.

      • Posted By: Bornita @ 12/12/2007 8:16:25 PM

        Or you could help in other ways, like supporting fair trade, or emergency charities or get involved in grassroot organisation to mobilize your governments in the subject of extreme poverty. I know these ones : www.data.org , www.one.org , www.globalfund.org

      • Posted By: mutesi @ 12/12/2007 11:39:20 AM

        To Evolutionist, please think about what you are saying. Evidently you have no respect for Africa or Africans. I'm curious as to how you got this way - I'm guessing you readily believe whatever negative images of Africa the media produces. You might think this is funny becuause it is happening in a place you know nothing about and to people you don't care about, but imagine if there was an Ebola outbreak in your hometown. In reading your post, I could assume that you're a callous, narrow-minded, and unexposed individual, but I won't. I just hope you'll take some time learn more about a beautiful part of the world that while poor and underdeveloped, deserves the same respect as anywhere else.

      • Posted By: mutesi @ 12/12/2007 11:19:46 AM

        To Evolutionist, please think about what you are saying. Evidently you have no respect for Africa or Africans. I'm curious as to how you got this way - I'm guessing you readily believe whatever negative images of Africa the media produces. You might think this is funny becuause it is happening in a place you know nothing about and to people you don't care about, but imagine if there was an Ebola outbreak in your hometown. In reading your post, I could assume that you're a callous, narrow-minded, and unexposed individual, but I won't. I just hope you'll take some time learn more about a beautiful part of the world that while poor and underdeveloped, deserves the same respect as anywhere else.

  • Posted By: jennc @ 12/12/2007 12:10:25 AM

    In the 1970s, poor hospitals with unsanitary conditions were responsible for most of the ebola infections. The outbreak was seriously curtailed when the small, under-staffed, ill-equipped Catholic missionary clinics were closed. Sub-Saharan Africa can seem pretty isolated to the rest of the world, but if we don't help contain these outbreaks, ebola will eventually creep out of the African jungles and erupt virulently in a major metropolitan area. Just like AIDS. It makes me sick to read about these hopeless hospital conditions. Infectious diseases are not just Africa's problem. The world needs to step in with support, or it will soon be every one's problem.

    • Posted By: Bornita @ 12/12/2007 8:09:19 PM

      Reaally? Did Aids creep out of Africa? Maybe abolishing slavery from for example cobalt mining is a way to curtail epidemics by prevention. Cobalt is used in all cellphone batteries and comes from various sub-Saharan African countries. Evolutionist, put it away! And step away from the computer too.

  • Posted By: jmugu99 @ 12/12/2007 2:46:44 PM

    Comment; Uganda has definitely had its share of misharps. With such an epidemic of 'Ebola' people need to be educated on preventive measures in affected areas. So an appeal goes out to all involved medical agencies,medical facilities to try and contain this outbreak. All can be contained if the right information is put out,Ugandans can still fight this. Mugulusi [USA]

    • Posted By: Bornita @ 12/12/2007 7:53:05 PM

      Fortunately the outbreak is more medial than actual. They don't seem as interested to fight the virus than to sensationalize it.

  • Posted By: Hannington Musinguzi @ 12/12/2007 10:41:31 AM

    I just hope that this outbreak will be contained very soon. Uganda has had its share of misery - Aids, civil strife, poverty to name a few and this might be the straw that breaks the camel' back. The way out of this crisis is for the agencies to communicate with the masses and advise them on how to avoid contamination and the ability to establish mobile health centers. Uganda, we will pray for you to rise up to the challenge. You will overcome. H Musinguzi, USA

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