KMCRIC

From influenza and SARS to Ebola, what lessons have been learned from recent outbreaks of deadly infectious diseases in terms of preparedness and capacity to respond to and prevent these outbreaks?The Ebola outbreak in 2014 highlighted the world’s continuing extraordinary vulnerability to the threat of infectious diseases. The collective efforts of governments and the international community proved inadequate to prevent an outbreak of disease in West Africa turning into a major international crisis. This followed close on the heels of the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in 2009, and other notable recent outbreaks such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and H5N1 in 1997. This is despite international efforts to combat the spread of these diseases for more than 150 years.