Ebola is one of the deadliest viruses we know of, with an estimated fatality rate of about 50% if left untreated. It can spread through contact with bodily fluids, including blood and sweat, and even through contact with the dead. In 2013, a two-year-old boy in southern Guinea died after getting sick and it took four months to identify Ebola as the cause. This led to an epidemic that lasted two years and infected over 28,000 people, resulting in 11,000 deaths.
In 2021, Guinea faced another outbreak of Ebola and was much better prepared than in 2013. When a nurse in southern Guinea died, health officials quickly identified Ebola and activated an emergency response system. This included 38 district-level emergency operations centers, contact tracing, rapid testing, border screenings, and a vaccination campaign. Thanks to these measures, the 2021 outbreak was contained in just four months with only 23 cases and 12 deaths - a stark contrast to the previous outbreak.
The response to the 2021 outbreak in Guinea cost $100 million, but it was much cheaper than the global economic cost of the 2013 outbreak, which was $53 billion. It is important for countries to respond quickly to outbreaks, but the strategies for containing them will vary depending on the disease and the country. For example, Brazil successfully quenched a yellow fever outbreak with a massive vaccination campaign, while Burkina Faso contained a cholera outbreak with antibiotics and contact tracing.
Overall, Guinea’s response to the 2021 Ebola outbreak serves as an example of how effective responses can be if countries are well prepared. In Chiang Mai, Thailand, health officials piloted a community-owned, community-driven outbreak alert system to monitor animal health. This is important, as some animal outbreaks have the potential to spill over and become human outbreaks. Villagers used an app to alert health authorities about any potential outbreaks in animals, resulting in the identification of 36 animal outbreaks over 16 months.
For any outbreak response system to be effective, it needs to be trusted, valued, and ultimately used by communities. This requires reaching people where they are, in the language they speak, and with an understanding of the culture, beliefs, and practices with which they live.
Ultimately, the best way to save lives is to invest in lasting health infrastructure, 365 days a year, for everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us. We cannot expect to do nothing for years and then suddenly swing into action when an outbreak occurs.