This December marks the 10-year anniversary of the emergence of Ebola in West Africa that caused a tragic epidemic with more than 10,000 deaths in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
On November 9th, the Yale Institute of Global Health hosted Dr. Bernice Dahn, Former Minister of Health, Liberia; Dr. Sylla Thiam, Former Regional Director, Amref, West Africa; and Paramount Chief David Mandu Farley Keili-Coomber IV, Mandu Chiefdom, Sierra Leone to share their reflections and lessons learned from the Ebola crisis. Dr. Sabine Franklin, a former African Studies postdoctoral fellow at the MacMillan Center, moderated the panel discussion which included a discussion on the challenges in addressing the Ebola crisis, building more resilient health systems, and improving global health.
Dr. Franklin asked each panelist what is missing from the narrative of the epidemic ten years later. Paramount Chief Keili‐Coomber IV noted that " While international organizations helped respond to the crisis, there needs to be conscious support to help continue building resilient healthcare systems. Attention should be given not only to current epidemics, but also other endemic diseases like typhoid and malaria.”
“Current healthcare systems are weakened, often overwhelmed, with most not able to access basic primary healthcare services. “Investments [in healthcare] must be done in a structured manner” Dr. Thiam stated. “Additionally, better social protections are needed to reduce the cost of obtaining healthcare.”
Countries around the world must be better prepared for new emergencies. Strengthening healthcare systems is integral to prevent and reduce the spread of future infectious diseases. Part of building more resilient healthcare delivery systems is by fostering community trust. To prevent mistrust between communities and public health responders, Dr. Thiam underscored the importance of not judging the practices of the community.
Dr. Dahn expanded on this, emphasizing key pillars of global health – accountability, effectiveness, and efficiency. "Transparency and accountability must be bidirectional with NGOs and partner organizations and the government." This is paramount in preventing an erosion of trust between communities and public health leaders.
Oftentimes, there is a disconnect between the goals and priorities of donor partners and local governments. To best utilize and implement strategic policies and plans, donor partners and governments should work together as they develop these plans and ensure that donor partners are able to provide resources that best align with the government’s needs and priorities. At all levels, there needs to be better accountability systems to ensure that resources are inclusive for all stakeholders involved. This is instrumental in establishing a sustainable healthcare infrastructure.
“While the acute emergency of Ebola or the COVID-19 outbreak is done, the lack of universal access to primary healthcare is a chronic public health emergency. The threat toour global health security is the human insecurity that exists and needs to be addressed collaboratively between donors, INGOs, and domestic governments.” Says Dr. Franklin.