With the increasing number of deaths in Africa caused by the deadly Ebola outbreak, statisticians are inferring that the probability of women being affected is much greater as compared to men.

A former statistician in communicable disease surveillance and response at the World Health Organization, Martha Anker, hypothesized that Ebola claims women as its primary victims.

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In a report released last August 14 by the Washington Post, it stated that across areas of Sierra Leone and Geneva, 55 to 60 percent of women were compromised collectively. Liberia reported that out of the total victims, 75% were women.

Anker wrote in her WHO report in 2007 that knowing the gender roles and responsibilities are considered one of the important factors that could affect the victim's exposure in transmission of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF).

One reason which explains why women are more affected than men is that they are the usually caregivers for the sick.

Volunteers, nurses, physicians, and even family members taking care of the patients are primarily women and thus the risk in having the disease transmitted to them is high.

When a man is sick, a woman can bathe or clean or take care of him easily, but a man will find it difficult doing the same thing in return. Attention to gender dynamics is poor when outbreaks are present.

If both women and men could have access to relevant information and training in order to be able to care for the sick, it is likely that overall risks related to Ebola would decrease.

Another reason is that even though reports and statistics have been gathered as to the risk that women face in contracting diseases, most ignore it. Data shows that there are other diseases like Ebola which tend to affect more one gender than the other.

According to experts, the risk of infectious diseases due to gender differences remains high, but by raising awareness it is possible to develop a containment strategy for future outbreaks.

TagsEbola outbreak, women affected by Ebola, WHO