title: The Ebola outbreak in Western Africa: ethical obligations for care.
abstract: The recent wave of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Western Africa and efforts to control the disease where the health system requires strengthening raises a number of ethical challenges for healthcare workers practicing in these countries. We discuss the implications of weak health systems for controlling EVD and limitations of the ethical obligation to provide care for patients with EVD using Nigeria as a case study. We highlight the right of healthcare workers to protection that should be obligatorily provided by the government. Where the national government cannot meet this obligation, healthcare workers only have a moral and not a professional obligation to provide care to patients with EVD. The national government also has an obligation to adequately compensate healthcare workers that become infected in the course of duty. Institutionalisation of policies that protect healthcare workers are required for effective control of the spread of highly contagious diseases like EVD in a timely manner.
authors.affiliation: National Health Research Ethics Committee, Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Secretariat, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Aminu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yakubu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health and Department of Child Dental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Morenike Oluwatoyin
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Folayan
authors.affiliation: Port Health Services Division, Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Secretariat, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Nasir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sani-Gwarzo
authors.affiliation: Nigeria Field Epidemiology & Laboratory Training Program (NFELTP), Haile Selassie St, Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nguku
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Program in Public Health, Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention, University of California, Irvine, California, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D032781:Codes of Ethics; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000941:ethics*; D035881:Compensation and Redress; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics*; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011640:Public Policy; D012941:Social Responsibility
keywords: Clinical Ethics; Codes of/Position Statements on Professional Ethics; Distributive Justice; Research Ethics; Right to Refuse Treatment