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WHO Addresses Failings
Admitting that its response to West Africa’s Ebola outbreak was seriously flawed, WHO leadership—including Director-General Margaret Chan, the deputy director-general and regional directors—published a statement addressing lessons learned and next steps late last week.
Detailing 8 key lessons learned, specific steps to improve its response capacity, and advice for world leaders, WHO explains how it will try to prevent another crisis. Here are just a few takeaways:
The Lessons:
* Greater surge capacity enables a flexible response
* Health gains – fewer child deaths, malaria control, maternal mortality – are fragile and all too easily reversed in the face of an outbreak
* Respect for culture, as in promoting safe and respectful funeral and burial practices, is key
Next Steps for WHO:
* Create a Global Health Emergency Workforce
* Establish a contingency fund
* Strengthen framework of international health regulations
Another point from the WHO statement that hasn’t gotten a lot of airtime: “We have been reminded that market-based systems do not deliver on commodities for neglected diseases – endemic nor epidemic. Incentives are needed to encourage the development of new medical products for diseases that disproportionately affect the poor.”
WHO (http://www.who.int/csr/
Related: WHO leadership admits failings over Ebola, promises reform – Reuters (http://www.trust.org/item/
Related: The American Response to Ebola – The New York Times (Opinion) (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/
Related: Guinea’s president bears the weight of what Ebola has done to his country – Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.
Related: Ebola: CDC warns of sexual transmission of virus as WHO admits to failings – International Business Times (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/
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