Subscribe Save Share Reprints Request 10 years after the 2014–16 Ebola epidemic in west Africa: advances and challenges in African epidemic preparedness
The 2014–16 Ebola virus disease epidemic in west Africa, declared a decade ago on March 23, 2014, left an indelible mark among the 21st-century's various public health emergencies. The epidemic, which primarily affected Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, took months to identify after a first cluster of cases in December, 2013. It took almost 3 years to contain, and claimed thousands of lives. The epidemic laid bare the dire consequences of weak health systems, poor disease surveillance, an initially lethargic response, and inadequate community engagement. The epidemic also exposed vulnerabilities in global health security, including the global architecture of public health. At the time, although WHO had many strengths in responding to previous public health emergencies, there were weaknesses in the capacity of WHO and other major partners to respond to the Ebola epidemic at a pace or scale commensurate with the crisis.