Ep 17. Ebola Outbreak/Hunting Boko Haram

Ebola Outbreak/Hunting Boko Haram is the seventeenth episode of the thirty-second season of the investigative documentary series, Frontline. The episode explores two different crisis situations happening simultaneously in West Africa.

The first half of the episode focuses on the Ebola virus outbreak that occurred in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea between 2013 and 2016. The episode provides an overview of the way the virus spreads, infects and eventually kills people. Through interviews with health workers and families of Ebola patients, viewers get first-hand accounts of how the disease affected West African communities.

The show also covers how the international community responded to the crisis, the slow start to the response and the urgency needed for containment. The episode sheds light on how people, whose lives are already severely impacted in their daily existence, were forced to adapt to the ever-changing demands imposed by the disease. Frontline highlights the efforts of those on the ground at the forefront of the crisis, including health care workers, who were risking their lives to treat the sick.

Additionally, the episode covers the aftermath of the outbreak and the measures that were taken to prevent such epidemics in the future. The show also features interviews with experts about the risks of viral diseases, such as Ebola, and what more can be done to combat them.

The second half of the episode shifts to a different crisis situation altogether, focusing on the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which has been committing a series of heinous crimes, including terrorism, kidnapping and mass murder in Nigeria. The episode provides a detailed background of the group's birth, growth and mission. Frontline provides testimony by the people of Nigeria and how they have found themselves on the front lines of this violent campaign.

The episode features interviews with experts with insights into the radical group's ideology, strategy, and tactics. Notably, the show features speaking points from those who have been kidnapped or have managed to escape the militants' clutches.

Part of the episode provides an insight into the hell parents with kidnapped children were living through. Additionally, Frontline highlights how the Nigerian government was responding to the crisis, including the role of the Nigerian military in fighting Boko Haram. It also covers the humanitarian crisis the conflict has created for many citizens of northern Nigeria who were forced to flee their homes because of the group's attacks.

The episode concludes with experts offering their analysis of what should be done to end the insurgency and address its underlying issues. Experts argue the only way forward is through education, better governance and economic opportunity to address the root causes of radicalism.

In conclusion, Ebola Outbreak/Hunting Boko Haram is a thorough, insightful and heart-wrenching episode that explains two different crises by placing the viewer directly inside West Africa's most vulnerable communities. Frontline's season 32, episode 17 is a testament to the power of investigative journalism to shed light on some of the world's darkest moments while still remaining optimistic and informative.