Chapter 7: N'zara and Chapter 8: Revolution Summary and Analysis

In Chapter 7, Joe McCormick was called to Monrovia during his Lassa research, and met with Soviet scientists who wanted samples of the disease. For years the two sides worked independently, because each feared the other would use Lassa as a biological weapon. McCormick did find that the Lassa virus was embedded in Africa. As McCormick sought to eradicate the disease, he knew that the infrastructure in Africa was a huge obstacle, as poverty, poor hygiene, a lack of supplies, and other problems plagued his efforts. By 1975, even the World Bank saw the need for better health care in these countries, and began offering loans for health related expenditures. In some cases, such as with the building of the Aswan High Dam, modernization projects actually caused increases in disease. Some countries such as Tanzania...