Cal State East Bay to present panel discussion on responses to Ebola in Liberia
- October 21, 2014
The Departments of Sociology and Social Services, Nursing, Health Sciences, Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies will present a panel discussion — “Misunderstandings and Lost Opportunities: Responses to Ebola in Liberia” — on Wednesday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m. in the Biella Room (LI 2126) of the University Library.
The featured speaker will be Dr. Patricia Omidian, a medical anthropologist who worked for the World Health Organization in Liberia. Omidian was tasked with helping responders understand cultural and social issues behind the outbreak and spread of Ebola.
In her talk, Dr. Omidian will explore how biomedical culture and local systems, cultures and politics clashed and at times undermined efforts to contain and control the outbreak. “My time in Liberia included that point when everyone realized the outbreak was out of control and they were unlikely to contain it as planned,” Omidian says. “Based on my research and that of others, the Liberian government decided to initiate home health care.”
Dr. Omidian also carried out a study that highlighted the lack of community involvement in dealing with the Ebola crisis. “My second study indicated the need for training communities on safe burial. What is glaringly clear is that a health strategy that excluded primary health care and community involvement was going to fail. This message is still difficult to accept,” Omidian says.
The panel discussion is a free event, but space is limited. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. For more information, email Professor Carl Stempel at carl.stempel@csueastbay.edu or contact him at (510) 407-0536.