Thomson Reuters Foundation: New Ebola outbreak is being tackled by a stronger WHO in the African region
Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa

“…Currently, WHO in the African region is responding to the latest outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease, which began in the western part of [the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)], in Equateur Province. This outbreak has been testing the internal reforms that WHO has implemented in response to the 2013-16 outbreak in West Africa. … Disease outbreaks and other emergencies often occur in areas where poverty intersects with a lack of provision of basic health care. When all citizens receive services — either in the cities, the countryside, or anywhere in between — they can have the dignity and security to live healthy productive lives. In Africa, we are not there yet, but we have made progress in this journey. Countries like Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, which were affected by the unprecedented Ebola outbreak, are putting in place stronger systems that not only address curative services but also preventive services with support from WHO and development partners. … [O]ne could say that the experiences of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone have revealed to us a new outbreak — an outbreak of confidence, that our continent has turned a corner and is, once again, ready to grow…” (6/15).