Photo from: http://www.kveller.com/

In the New York Times article titled “W.H.O. Assails Delay in Ebola Vaccine”, Rick Gladstone writes about the World Health Organization’s disappointment in the delay of research on an Ebola vaccine. The Ebola virus was discovered in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, however because it only impacted small, impoverished African countries, there was no incentive to develop a vaccine. According to Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the W.H.O, “A profit-driven industry does not invest in products for markets that cannot pay. W.H.O has been trying to make this issue [Ebola] visible for ages. Now people can see for themselves.” The declaration she makes is an illustration of how ethics gets in the way of business operations. Before Ebola exploded into the worldwide crisis it is today, little or no effort was made to prevent the disease from spreading simply because there were was not enough interest. Medical/vaccination organizations obviously saw no benefit to them if efforts were put into a vaccine, despite the fact that people were already suffering from the disease. It’s a sticky situation that many organizations find themselves in; to do well for the world, or to make profit. I believe a balance must be found in order for a company to be viable, but ethically conscious at the same time.