Simple Measures That Could Save Lives

Summary of Health care workers in poor nations lack gear needed to protect from HIV and other bloodborne infections like ebola by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reported that there is an absence of standard safety equipment in low-income countries. The Ebola outbreak emphasizes the pressing need for basic shielding equipment for heath care workers. There were 399 hospitals involved in a survey that determined 29% of hospitals had eye protection, 64% had a steady supply of products needed for proper sterilization and 75% consistently had gloves. In the United States, all hospitals have this equipment stocked. Despite all of the money that goes into HIV very little goes into protective gear. Adam L. Kushner, MD, MPH, an associate for Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health stated, “Inexpensive protective equipment can keep doctors and nurses safe from infection”(Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2014).

I thought this article did a really good job bringing to light the need for protective gear in low-income countries. The solution seems obvious, keep the hospitals stocked, but I know it is nowhere near this simple and this makes me feel helpless. In the United States we take for granted these very standard levels of hygiene. In my opinion, more funding should go into keeping health care workers safe.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (2014, August 26). Health care workers in poor nations lack gear needed to protect from hiv and other bloodborne infections like ebola. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 8, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140826100649.htm