WHO Budget Cuts Stymie Ebola Response; Chan Discusses Agency’s Role

The New York Times features two articles examining the WHO’s role in responding to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

New York Times: Cuts at WHO Hurt Response to Ebola Crisis
“…The WHO … has been badly weakened by budget cuts in recent years, hobbling its ability to respond in parts of the world that need it most. Its outbreak and emergency response units have been slashed, veterans who led previous fights against Ebola and other diseases have left, and scores of positions have been eliminated — precisely the kind of people and efforts that might have helped blunt the outbreak in West Africa before it ballooned into the worst Ebola epidemic ever recorded…” (Fink, 9/3).

New York Times: WHO Leader Describes the Agency’s Ebola Operations
“Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization, based in Geneva, flew to New York on Monday for several days of meetings in the United States focused on the international fight against the Ebola outbreak. Before walking to her first meeting … she sat down for an interview about Ebola…” (Fink, 9/4).

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