Making science work for development

Ebola in Guinea: How the outbreak and response differed to neighbouring West Africa nations

11 July 2017

The global effort to respond to the 2014-2016 Evola outbreak was visibly partitioned by colonial-era ties with aid and support flowing from the United Kingdom to Sierra Leone, the United States to Liberia, and France to Guinea. Subsequently the experiences and lessons learned from Guinea are rarely represented in the English speaking countries amid discussions about preventing and preparing for the next major epidemic. Yet, it was in Guinea that the plague began, gripping seven out of eight of its regions, and then spreading to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The insight from Guinea is imperative to shaping the way forward for epidemic and pandemic preparedness. This event will provide insight into the complex institutional relationships and cross-disciplinary realities that occurred during the response.