Trapping the Zika Virus

The Zika virus spreading through South and Central America was previously considered a mild pathogen, but a possible link to birth defects has elevated the obscure mosquito-borne disease to a public health emergency. Though Zika and Ebola are very different in transmission and symptoms, the same lessons learned from the West African outbreak can be applied in the Americas. As they did for Ebola, the New England Complex Systems Institute (NECSI) has outlined a response plan based at the community level. In addition to limiting exposure to mosquitoes and advising travelers, NECSI’s plan takes control efforts one step further: offering female mosquitoes a place to lay their eggs, but with a deadly surprise. READ MORE

How to Stop Ebola – and It’s More Than a Vaccine

Ms Serusha Govender, a freelance journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has published an article on the TRUE Africa new media-tech platformon How to Stop Ebola – and It is More Than a Vaccine.

“The worst Ebola outbreak in recorded history has already claimed the lives of more than 11,000 people across West Africa. Many deaths could have been prevented: local communities did not know enough about the disease and how to stop its spread. An ambitious new programme aims to train local journalists how better to inform and educate their communities in order to keep them safe. “READ MORE

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