HillNote
Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa was the largest in history, resulting in more cases and deaths than all other Ebola outbreaks combined. The virus infected 28,610 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, leading to 11,308 deaths. Since then, several new Ebola outbreaks have occurred, including one in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between 2018 and 2020. That outbreak, the second largest ever, resulted in 3,481 cases and 2,299 deaths. The West African outbreak led to renewed urgency to approve and deploy an Ebola vaccine. It also highlighted the need for more effective public health measures to contain cross-border infection. However, despite several expert reports produced following the outbreak, the implementation of key reforms to the global health architecture has been inconsistent, which may have affected preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic.