Sickness Spreads as Neighbors Clash Over Cash

The world is dealing with two very different, but very major, challenges this week. On one side of the globe, doctors are fighting to stop a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Meanwhile, the United States and Canada are embroiled in an intense trade war. Both events are making leaders rethink how they protect people and handle global partnerships.

Sickness Spreads Fast in Africa

Health workers in Africa are facing a big medical emergency as the dangerous Ebola virus spreads rapidly through the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded, according to undefined. Since the outbreak began in mid May, health officials have counted over 9,700 confirmed cases, and more than 4,600 people have died from the dangerous illness.

Stopping the Ebola outbreak is incredibly difficult for health workers because it is the rare Bundibugyo strain. Because it is so rare, there are currently no approved vaccines or cures for it approved by the FDA, making it harder to treat than other types of Ebola. Also, areas where the virus is spreading are also coping with fighting from rebel groups. This violence, and a lack of community trust, makes it dangerous for doctors and nurses to travel, deliver medicine, and safely isolate sick patients.

The situation is growing more complex as the virus begins traveling outside the borders of the DRC. Scientists are trying to track down cases after the virus was recently detected in Kenya and Nigeria, hoping to try to stop the disease from spreading further across Africa .

Countries Fight Over Trade Tariffs

While doctors fight the virus in Africa, a different kind of battle is happening across the pond. The United States and Canada, two countries that are normally friends and business partners, are locked in a tense trade war. The trouble started when trade negotiations between the two countries broke down and Canada walked away from the agreement table and attacked each other with tariffs. When countries disagree on business, they often use tariffs, which are special taxes a government puts on items coming from another country to make them more expensive.

The fight began when the U.S. government implemented heavy 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, and Canada quickly counterattacked by placing its own large taxes on American products. To help American farmers and business owners who lean on Canadian materials, American President Donald J. Trump announced that the U.S. would lift these high tariffs for a short period of time on certain Canadian agricultural items and wood products. This also means items like potatoes, apples, blueberries, seaweed, and plywood sheets won’t face the extra tariffs for now.

Even though a few items were given a downtime for tariffs , the trade fights are far from over. President Trump has said that Canadian leaders are “working very hard” to fix the problem. Both nations are still struggling to find a fair deal that makes everyone happy.