IOAC thematic report commissioned by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board
What does the 2018–2019 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo tell us about the state of global epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response?
Overview
The scale of the tragedy caused by the 2013–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa exposed serious failings in the way the world prepares for, and responds to, health emergencies. In the wake of the crisis the UN system and a constellation of international organizations, national governments, and international NGOs embarked on several initiatives to reform key aspects of global epidemic preparedness and response, from financing to clinical research. “Never again” was the collective refrain.* And yet, in June 2019, a typical headline in the UK press read “’Terrifying’ Ebola epidemic out of control in the Democratic Republic of the Congo”.