Conflict and insecurity driving spread of diseases like Ebola, WHO chief warns
By Peter Beaumont
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Only when there was “fear and panic” in the headlines did the international community put money into responding, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus [head of the World Health Organization]. The real issue was a lack of day-to-day funding for preparedness to combat serious epidemics before they become regional or international threats, he said.
Speaking ahead of a new call for funding for the response to the Ebola outbreak, he added: “The problem is that [donors] refrain from paying until there is fear and panic. That has to change. We should not be funding by huge amounts when we panic, but should be funding to avoid panic.”
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“The root cause of the problem is lack of peace, the lack of a political solution. The incidence of Ebola, malaria and cholera is the symptom.
“It’s not about Ebola only. What concerns me is the lacking of understanding about how to make our world safe,” he said, citing the risk of an airborne pandemic.
“We’re not investing in preparedness to detect outbreaks quickly. We are investing after the problem comes and knocks on our door when it’s too late. So how can we move on from that mindset? We have to be as strong as the weakest link and we need to invest in strengthening the systems of the weakest link.
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