Which part of Africa has been probably most seriously affected by Ebola?

M: Hello Feifei.
F: Hello Rob.
M: Today we’re talking about quite a controversial subject: the use of experimental drugs to treat disease.
F: And experimental drugs are a very hot topic with the recent cases of Ebola in West Africa.
M: Ebola is caused by a virus for which there is no cure yet, and the mortality rate is high.
F: Hundreds of people have been infected in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and over half have died.
M: So—the World Health Organization decided to allow the use of experimental drugs on people with the virus. The virus Ebola got its name after a river in the northern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. But when was it discovered?
F: Well, I’m not really sure.
M: Well, we’ll have the answer at the end of the programme. The World Health Organization(the WHO)announced they would allow the use of these drugs on humans, but...only under certain conditions.
F: I wonder what would happen if it didn’t work or if the patient had a bad reaction—might they sue the doctor?
M: That’s a very interesting point. The Health Minister of Liberia, Walter Gwenigale, has already said that people won’t be allowed to sue if the drug doesn’t work or if it makes them worse.
F: He’s very direct. Neither the government nor the doctors are liable.
M: And that’s why if you are infected with the virus you have to sign a waiver.
F: A waiver. This is a formal document in which the person says they’ve given up a right or claim—in this case, the right to take others to court.
M: Yes. That’s right.
F: So, people who are infected with Ebola can talk to a doctor, sign this document, this waiver, and get the medicine.
M: Well, not exactly—because not everyone gets it. Now, let’s get back to our quiz. I asked you when the Ebola virus was discovered. It was discovered in 1976. Interestingly we don’t know which animal carries the Ebola virus, although bats have long been suspected and this makes prevention and controlling Ebola quite difficult.