Post by Results UK

🦠 🇨🇩 Why the world wasn't ready for the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak 🦠 🇨🇩 The recent emergence and escalation of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has highlighted the shortcomings in our ability to contain the spread of new diseases. Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks, there are no approved vaccines or treatments available for the Bundibugyo strain. Limited research investment and a lack of health infrastructure for rare strains like the Bundibugyo virus has undermined attempts to contain its spread. This is part of a broader issue: the world’s continued lack of preparedness for potential health threats, and the limited capacity to respond when outbreaks occur. What may begin as a small number of local cases can quickly become difficult to control when the tools needed to respond simply do not exist. This outbreak exposes shortcomings in global pandemic preparedness, and made clear the persistent gaps in healthcare systems, research, and infrastructure needed to respond effectively. In her blog for the Results UK website, intern Morgan Cottam explores what the current Ebola outbreak reveals about global health preparedness, and why sustained investment in research and healthcare systems is critical to preventing future crises. https://lnkd.in/ejRS6EmZ _______________ IAVI, Gates Foundation, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Rebecca Cooper, Jenny Chapman, The Pandemic Fund, Kitty Arie, Alexandra Runswick, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U. of London, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine