Efficacy in Emergency Legal Preparedness Underlying the 2014 Ebola Outbreak

Texas A&M Law Review 2015; 2: 353-383

32 Pages Posted: 17 Jul 2015

See all articles by James G. Hodge

James G. Hodge

Arizona State University (ASU) - Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Leila Barraza

University of Arizona - Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health; Arizona State University (ASU) - Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Kim Weidenaar

Network for Public Health Law

Alicia Corbett

Gallagher & Kennedy, PA

Greg Measer

Network for Public Health Law

Asha Agrawal

Arizona State University (ASU) - Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Date Written: June 3, 2015

Abstract

From its relative obscurity over the past three decades, Ebola viral disease (“EVD”) emerged as a substantial global biothreat in 2014 and 2015. The current outbreak of varied strains of Ebola, beginning in March 2014 in Guinea, is projected to impact hundreds of thousands of people over months, years, or even indefinitely. As of October 31, 2014, the spread of EVD was concentrated in several African countries (e.g., Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and an unrelated outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo), with limited additional cases in Nigeria, Senegal, and Mali. Over 2,700 people are known to have died from Ebola in fewer than eight months in Liberia alone; the actual death toll may be far higher. At one point, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) estimated a worst-case scenario of 1.4 million new cases arising largely in already affected countries by early 2015. Reported cases in the affected regions are considerably less than these estimates, but with a fatality rate hovering near 50%, thousands more West Africans may perish before the end of this current outbreak.

Countering these dire threats are multiple international and regional response efforts fueled by hundreds of millions of relief dollars. Critically-needed supplies are being funneled to West Africa. Thousands of health care workers (“HCWs”) from the United States, Europe, China, and Cuba, among other countries, are responding despite significant risks to their own health and safety. Rapid development and testing of vaccines and treatments are underway. In the interim, an array of existing experimental medications is currently being used or considered on a limited basis. These interventions may help lower human morbidity and mortality rates related to EVD so long as they are well-timed, efficacious, and ethically allocated.

Suggested Citation

Hodge, James G. and Barraza, Leila and Weidenaar, Kim and Corbett, Alicia and Measer, Greg and Agrawal, Asha, Efficacy in Emergency Legal Preparedness Underlying the 2014 Ebola Outbreak (June 3, 2015). Texas A&M Law Review 2015; 2: 353-383, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2631727

James G. Hodge (Contact Author)

Arizona State University (ASU) - Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law ( email )

Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
111 E. Taylor Street, MC 9520
Phoenix, AZ 85004-4467
United States
480-727-8576 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://law.asu.edu/degree-programs/public-health-law-policy

Leila Barraza

University of Arizona - Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health ( email )

Tucson, AZ

Arizona State University (ASU) - Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law ( email )

Box 877906
Tempe, AZ 85287-7906
United States

Kim Weidenaar

Network for Public Health Law ( email )

Saint Paul, MN
United States

Alicia Corbett

Gallagher & Kennedy, PA ( email )

2575 E. Camelback Rd.
Suite 1100
Phoenix, AZ 85016
United States

Greg Measer

Network for Public Health Law ( email )

Saint Paul, MN
United States

Asha Agrawal

Arizona State University (ASU) - Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law ( email )

Box 877906
Tempe, AZ 85287-7906
United States

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