DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2019.v07i03.004

Pages: 137-143

This article is a reflective proposal that the world mounts structures for achieving Sustainable Development Goals in order to contain Ebola viral disease in Africa and elsewhere. The first case of Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) was reported in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) former Zaire in Central Africa in 1976. Since then, the disease has been found to have five strains—Zaire, Sudan, Tai Forest, Bundibugyo and Reston and has re-appeared 20 more times, with some re-emergence threatening to get out of control, regardless of the current medical technological advancement. Particularly, the 2013 outbreak saw the disease spread to several West African countries, with 30, 000 cases of diagnosis and killing over 10, 000 people. The impact of the outbreak was felt far and wide—and not just in the neighbouring countries. In 2018, the virus re-emerged in DRC, and according to the World Health Organisation, the outbreak is only dwarfed by the 2013 one in West Africa. This paper is a critical review of literature on the viral disease and attempts to address the three questions: Why does EVD re-emerge more frequently? Why does it sometimes threaten to get out of control? Does the elephant in the room – climate change – have a role to play in the outbreaks? The paper then describes a link between the containment of Ebola Viral Disease and attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly. It is the beginning of a solution seeking conversation that should not die until EVD war is worn in Africa and elsewhere.