Texas (KLTV) – As an outbreak of Ebola spreads across central Africa faster than any previous in history, an East Texas nonprofit is closely monitoring the situation overseas
Lewis Swann, founder and president of Sight.org, joined East Texas Now to discuss the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, as well as the possible impact on his organization’s operations in western Africa, about 1,500 miles away in Togo.
Since 2012, Sight.org has provided nearly 11,000 vision surgeries to the blind, as well as ministered to the spiritual needs of the 60,000 people in villages across Togo. Their operations continue, largely unaffected by the present Ebola crisis.
As of Tuesday, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ministry of Health reported 2,536 confirmed cases, with 1,033 deaths.
Despite Sight.org’s focus on the opposite side of the continent, Swann says there are lessons learned from the 2014 Ebola outbreak in west Africa that could apply to the current situation, regardless of how far it spreads.
Swann says the current Ebola outbreak will further complicate healthcare challenges in some of Africa’s 54 countries, while at the same time, this lack of access may slow the spread in other areas.
With Africa’s dependence on the West for travel, tourism, and aid, Swann said the potential economic impact of the outbreak could be crippling.
“Ebola itself is devastating. The second front is the fear of Ebola, [which] destroys everything around it. And it’s pretty sad to see.”
Swann said he would encourage East Texans to carefully discern possible missionary work in Africa.
“The continent needs you if you are considering going. If it’s on the other side of the continent, I would go. If you’re going to a neighboring country, maybe think twice.”
There is no approved vaccine or treatment for the virus related to the current outbreak.
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