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EBOLA
Lesson 4: Expect the Unexpected
The West Africa Ebola epidemic is an object lesson in preparedness on many levels, says health systems expert David Peters.
“Epidemics always have some facet that catches us off guard. In this case, Ebola struck in areas of Africa not known for Ebola. The people, systems and the infrastructure weren’t in place to meet it head-on,” Peters says.
Preparedness requires a complete spectrum of measures, he counsels, including community engagement and public health systems that focus on identifying and isolating cases, providing safe and good quality clinical care, and hygienic and safe burial.
Health systems need to be developed so they can prevent and respond quickly to crises. It also means building capacity in advance in places where one might not always expect the need.
“If you are there from the start and people trust the system,” Peters says, “the response will be better.”
** David Peters (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
, MD, DrPH ’93, MPH ’89, chairs the ** Department of International Health (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Editor’s Note: This week we’re highlighting five lessons about Ebola from the new issue of ** Johns Hopkins Public Health Magazine (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
. Read the ** complete story by Andrew Myers (http://jhsph.us3.list-
.
Related: Ebola-hit nations struggle with local resistance, unreported cases – ** CIDRAP (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
Related: One paragraph that explains why we haven't yet found an Ebola cure – ** Vox.com (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
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