Public Health students hear perspective from front-line Ebola fighters

Representatives from the Christian international relief organization Samaritan’s Purse visited Liberty University on Thursday to share their experience on the front lines of the Ebola crisis in West Africa, including the treatment of Dr. Kent Brantly, the Ebola survivor who earned TIME magazine Person of the Year honors for his efforts in combating the virus.

Dr. Lance Plyler, medical director of SP’s Disaster Response Unit, who treated Brantly, and Ken Isaacs, SP’s vice president for Programs and Government Relations, offered insider perspective on fighting the outbreak, speaking to Master of Public Health (MPH) students during a special session at the Center for Medical and Health Sciences.

Plyler treated Brantly in Liberia and administered the experimental drug that saved his life.

“We had this enormous infrastructure in place in West Africa (when the outbreak escalated), and we felt morally compelled to get involved,” Plyler said.

Plyler talked about the difficult conditions the doctors faced, showing pictures of staff wearing containment suits while working in sweltering temperatures.

Isaacs explained the administrative challenges that took place behind the scenes, including raising awareness about the disease, educating the public, mobilizing crisis care, and evacuation and containment issues.

Isaacs estimated that 500,000 Liberians were educated to help stop the outbreak.

He stressed the importance of public health professionals and government agencies acting swiftly in these sorts of crises.

“In July or August, the disease could have been stopped had the right resources been applied in the right way at the right time,” Isaacs said.

In addition to focusing on the needs of the public, Isaacs explained that it is equally important to support the staff and their families.

“In this instance, our staff were the ones who had been working in an environment where 75 percent of the patients died, and where two of their teammates came down with Ebola.”

The two men fielded questions from the students following the presentation.

Byoun Jin, a first-year MPH student who plans to work in international outreach, said he was astounded to hear about the amount of work that took place behind the scenes, from the mobilization of medical care to discussions at the congressional level.

“We had been studying about Ebola last semester,” he said. “Having (Plyler and Isaacs) come here to tell us what it was like first person was just amazing.”

Isaacs and Plyler were scheduled to address students at the Helms School of Government later in the day, discussing the political aspects of the crisis and Isaacs’ opportunity to testify before Congress last August.

Plyler said that he was impressed with the infrastructure and financial support that Liberty has put into its medical training.

“I think Liberty’s public health and medical students can have a real impact on the international community with regard to health,” he said, adding that it is humbling to be able to share his experience with students. “It is so encouraging to see Christian students who are so enthusiastic and eager to learn about real-life issues. These people are going to be on the front lines in the future.”