By Tom Brennan
The Ebola epidemic in West Africa is having a serious effect on the rest of the globe. This usually fatal disease has gone beyond its home ground in Africa to appear in Spain and the United States. The news reports are filled with heavy criticism of the United States’ poor preparations and questionable screening activities .Other nations are watching warily for the first victims and sign of infection on their soil. Israel’s government is actively planning to prevent importation of the virus and its superb medical and pharmaceutical industry has already started preparations with a possible cure.
The world has known about the deadly Ebola virus for some time. It was a viral infection that had been centered in West Africa and no one really was concerned. Then a serious contagious outbreak began that totally overwhelmed the health organizations and facilities of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Finally a non-African national was effected and panic resulted. Despite alarm from many sources, two medical professionals were airlifted from their posts and flown to hospitals in the USA. From that point on the public relations battle in the media was in full force. Center for Disease Control staffers seemed detached and unconcerned about public panic about a disease that so far had not left its origins. There seemed to be no plan or strategy for containment,or testing of travelers flying from West Africa to unprepared airports with no screening programs. Wild rumors and the generally detached and disorganized attitude gave fuel to the fire of fright and suspicion. A spokesperson’s worst nightmare had come true.
To date Israel has had no instances of Ebola symptomatic illness. However Israel is geographically close to the origin places of the deadly virus and air travel is not the only means of possible entry. Land travel and infection chances by travelers from other locations do exist. Israel is planning to guard its citizens from infection and is ready to put its high quality technological and pharmaceutical industry to work with a vaccine that holds great promise.
The planning to prevent Ebola from entering Israel has resulted in a meeting with Palestinian authorities to agree to share information and work out a coordinated plan of action to prevent this dreaded virus from endangering anyone in the region. There are times when necessity is more than a mother of invention, opposing groups can find a common ground and work together to oppose something that can harm anyone, Jew or Arab equally. A spokesman for COGAT, the Israel Defense Ministry office for coordination with Palestinian civilian agencies, made this declaration of planned cooperation in a mutual effort to protect the region.
One step in this plan is to provide advanced epidemiology training and information for Palestinian health agencies and personnel. Health, police and border crossing authorities met with Prime Minister Netanyahu to implement the first step of eliminating the entry of persons and travelers who may be carrying the infection. Agreeing upon steps and criteria will insure the virus does not enter either Palestinian or Israeli territories and will eliminate the first possible point of entry and infection. Collaboration and communication will make this work.
A major part of Israel’s economy is tourism and here will be a major effort to scan tourists who may have had any of the viral centers on their itinerary or have associated with those who may have. There is also an active effort to find persons who may have entered Israel recently from the countries in question and test them for the virus as well. General hospitals will receive up to date criteria for testing and containing any possible infection and spot inspections and drills are being instituted as well.
An Israeli technology company has pioneered the large scale production of artificial human collagen in tobacco plants. CollPlant has developed a process that merges human protein cells with tobacco plants hat are used to heal a large number of human health issues. An American company has produced an experimental drug, Zmapp, which combined in a “cocktail” has produced mixed results with two American Ebola victims. The vaccine is still available in small amounts but CollPlant’s process can be used to increase and accelerate production of large amounts of vaccine. Israel’s high tech industry and the developments in medical technology and pharmaceutical science are a serious factor in confronting the Ebola epidemic and preventing a pandemic.
Israel’s efficient and proactive government has taken advanced steps to prevent even a threat of infection before any cases are suspected or reported. Israel has also invited the cooperation of the Palestinian Authority to work together to safeguard the entire region’s population. Perhaps this act of intelligence and necessity will open up and extend diplomatic efforts to bring a permanent peace to Gaza. Israel has taken the lead and has demonstrated its integrity and moral fiber once again. The Bible teaches us to love our enemies, saving the lives of a population that has grown up in hatred of Israel and its people is a exemplary move that is Biblical in every way. Israel leads in many ways: science, health,technology and in considering the lives of people not their own to be as valuable as theirs. Israel is a model for international behavior in face of a global emergency.
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