Friday, December 5, 2014

Ebola and Poverty

In the November 17 issue of America, Michael Rozier, SJ writes:  "Our instinct is to overlook the social and environmental influences on health and focus on personal behavior and medical care. We like to blame either the individual (typically for chronic diseases like diabetes or obesity) or the micro-organism (tuberculosis or Ebola). But we fail to appreciate how involved we all are -- how responsible we are -- for the social conditions that foster disease along the way."

His article, "Behind the Headlines: Ebola and the magnifying power of poverty," invites us to look beyond the "powerful narrative" of the sensational media coverage by looking at the poverty and political instability that gives the virus its true power.   His article, available here, is well worth your time.  It would also be good to remember in prayer those individuals, families and communities who continue to be devastated by Ebola, which -- according to Rozier -- will "extend longer than our attention span."

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