Ebola, Chikungunya, and the Caribbean: Struggling to prepare and respond

Clegg, Peter

Abstract

In recent months the Caribbean has faced an epidemic of the Chikungunya virus, which the region has found difficult to control. In May 2014 the Caribbean Health Agency (CARPHA) declared the virus had reached epidemic levels, and since then the number of cases has increased further. Also, the threat of the Ebola virus is growing. No cases have yet been reported in the region, but there are great concerns over what might happen if it does arrive, particularly with the failure to deal with Chikungunya effectively. These actual and potential public health crises are having a significant economic impact at a time when the regional economy is already slowing according to a recent report by the International Monetary Fund. This article considers these issues in turn.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015
• Journal: Round Table
• Print ISSN: 0035-8533
• Electronic ISSN: 1474-029X
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 104
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 65-67
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2015.1005357
• Keywords: ebola, chikungunya, Caribbean
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/841380
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2015.1005357
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Published online: 29 Jan 2015