A symposium Friday and Saturday at Kalamazoo College examines the reaction and lessons learned from the recent Ebola outbreak.
The director of K-College's Africana Studies program Joseph Bangura is organizing the symposium, being held Friday and Saturday at Kalamazoo College. Research scientist Alhaji N'Jai will give the keynote address.
N'Jai told WMUK's Gordon Evans that the spread of Ebola shows that the world is very interconnected and a contagious disease like Ebola can move around the world quickly. He says factors such as poverty and infrastructure should be considered in how to prevent the spread of the disease.
Bangura says it's understandable that people were afraid when Ebola was found in the United States. But he says it's important for people to learn more about the disease. Bangura says self-preservation is a very natural reaction, but he says it may not be enough to stop the spread of the disease.
Both men say education is the key to an effective response to future epidemics. Bangura says public education can help people learn how to avoid contracting the disease. N'Jai says a strong public health system can contain an outbreak and limit its spread.
