National Center logo MHA logo
The Weekly Snapshot
Your source for the latest tips, information, and current campus safety resources from the National Center.
Facts about Ebola
suicide prevention image

Ebola: A Public Health Emergency of International Concern

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that the Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) outbreak in West Africa constitutes an "extraordinary event" and that "the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern have been met."

 

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is one of numerous viral hemorrhagic fevers and currently there is an epidemic of EHF in the western countries of Africa, including Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. There are only two known cases of EHF in the United States and both individuals were brought to the US from Africa for treatment and are in a secure healthcare facility receiving treatment. WHO has noted that this is currently the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded.

 

While there are no current cases of individuals

contracting Ebola in the US, educational institutions should work closely with their local health officials and direct students, faculty, and staff to the CDC's Ebola hemorrhagic fever website for the most current information and guidance. For your convenience, we have added some of the CDC's information to our website for ready reference as well as other relevant resources you may find helpful.

Suicide Contagion: Identifying Those at Risk and Postvention Strategies for Campuses to Reduce the Risk of Suicide Contagion

 

Suicide contagion is the process by which exposure to the suicide or suicidal act of one or many individuals may influence others to commit or attempt suicide. A suicide may follow the suicide of a peer, loved one or celebrity such as the highly publicized death of actor Robin Williams on Monday. A suicide may even follow the death of someone due to other causes, such as an accident. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that for youth between the ages of 10 and 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death. Young people, who tend to more strongly identify with the actions of their peers, are more at risk of imitative suicide than adults. Click here to learn more about how to identify students on campus who are at possible risk of suicide and to read postvention strategies for reducing the risk of suicide contagion.

 

 Like us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter       
This project was supported by Grant No. 2013-MU-BX-K011 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.