The following editorial appears in the November issue of Nature Medicine.
The international response to the ongoing Ebola epidemic has in many respects been more reactive than proactive. But there are changes that, if made, may shift the balance toward future readiness.
The projections are appalling. At the time of this writing, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the number of new Ebola virus disease cases could reach 10,000 per week before the end of the year. The three most heavily afflicted nations—Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone—remain woefully underequipped to stem the tide of infection. Severe shortages in medical personnel, protective gear, treatment beds and burial teams hinder almost every aspect of the effort. Cases of transmission were also reported in the US and Spain.
One thing is clear: the international community was not prepared to respond to this outbreak. Less clear is how, with limited resources, to stop the current epidemic. But several broad areas stand out as particularly important for efforts to stem Ebola’s spread and improve preparedness for future outbreaks. Continue reading