While emotional stories dominate headlines in local and international newspapers about the ravaging brutality of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic in the West African Mano River Union (MRU) countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, little is reported on the social class of people this EVD epidemic is so gruesomely savaging. It is gradually becoming a social norm that whenever there is an outbreak of an epidemic disease, it is almost certainly a catastrophic disaster that largely has to do with the poor and disadvantaged class of society.

The current outbreak of the EVD epidemic in the MRU-member countries is no way any exception to this established social norm. This unforgiving EVD has taken a heart and mind of its own to be able to draw a very clear line between the poor and affluent classes of society. For whatever reason or circumstance, the EVD seems to only go after these victims of social inequity who sadly are the poor and disadvantaged grassroots people that form the majority of every society. WHO statistics now show that all the nearly five thousand reported deaths of this dreadful EVD in the MRU-member nations belong to this characteristic social class of the poor and disadvantaged grassroots people, leaving the affluent class (which in Africa is sadly dominated by politicians) untouched.

Because EVD is an epidemic of the poor, there is neither the taste nor the political will in the decision-making bodies in the MRU-member states to confront the disease head on and swiftly put it under control. That is why this ruthless EVD is today causing such an unprecedented mayhem in the West African MRU-member countries. Had these affluent decision-making bodies swiftly put in place functioning healthcare systems in the affected countries, the so many precious lives so suddenly lost to the EVD epidemic could certainly have been saved. The deadly EVD was left to freely spread like dry-season forest wildfire. What started as nobody’s business is now everybody’s business across the MRU-member countries and beyond. Despite the mounting death tolls of the EVD, the politicians are busy fattening their bank savings from what good-will people in the international community have donated to combat the epidemic. One really wonders why the MRU-member country politicians always so abuse and neglect the poor and disadvantaged grassroots of society.

Down here in Sierra Leone, the ruling APC party has long branded Kailahun District as a renegade opposition stronghold region. The EVD in Sierra Leone started in this abused and neglected district by the APC government of Ernest Bai Koroma and its predecessor governments. Concerns only began rising when the deadly EVD epidemic ravaged across the country to hit the North (APC stronghold) and eventually to the capital City of Freetown (the seat of power). In fact, the EVD epidemic would not have been treated with the urgency it deserved had the international community not put an indirect travel ban on these opportunist politicians.

This makes us wonder why only the poor and disadvantaged class of society contracts this deadly Ebola disease. Does this killer Ebola not know that that wealthy echelon of politicians forced destitution on the poor and disadvantaged grassroots of society? Or has the Ebola taken a heart and mind of its own to bring us to our senses about our thoughtless elections of opportunist politicians to public offices in our society?

One thing clearly stands out from the pattern of infections of most epidemic diseases in Africa; that the politicians (who are parliamentarians, ministers, ambassadors and executive officials, etc.) always keep a far distance from the rest of society after gaining office. Like Ebola or any other epidemic disease, the affluent minority (who, in Africa, are the politicians) always abuses, feeds and by so doing impoverishes the large majority of society. In the strongest term possible, this devastating Ebola seems to be sending a message to us all the poor majority of society that we must stop our thoughtless behavior of sacrificing our long-term existence for meager short-term gains.

By Sulay Conteh

sulayconteh201718@yahoo.com