Abstract
A large international response was needed to bring the 2014/15 West African Ebola virus disease outbreak under control. This study sought to learn lessons from this epidemic to strengthen the response to future outbreaks of international significance by identifying priorities for future epidemiology training and response. Epidemiologists who were deployed to West Africa were recruited through a snowball sampling method and surveyed using an online anonymous questionnaire. Associations between demographics, training, qualifications, and role while in-country were explored alongside respondents’ experience during deployment. Of 128 responses, 105 met the inclusion criteria. Respondents originated from 25 countries worldwide, for many (62%), this was their first deployment abroad. The most common tasks carried out while deployed were surveillance, training, contact tracing, and cluster investigation. Epidemiologists would value more detailed predeployment briefings including organizational aspects of the response. Gaps in technical skills reported were mostly about geographical information systems; however, epidemiologists identified the need for those deployed in future to have greater knowledge about roles and responsibilities of organizations involved in the response, better cultural awareness, and leadership and management skills. Respondents felt that the public health community must improve the timeliness of the response in future outbreaks and strengthen collaboration and coordination between organizations.
Highlights
The scale and complexity of the 2014/15 West African outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) resulted in more cases and deaths than all other previously reported cases combined [1]
The insufficient capacity for rapid outbreak response highlighted during this outbreak has driven agencies across the world to improve their capacity for rapid deployment and response
Information was collected through a tailored web-based anonymous questionnaire using Select Survey®, which was piloted with a group of epidemiologists who had been deployed to West Africa
Summary
The scale and complexity of the 2014/15 West African outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) resulted in more cases and deaths than all other previously reported cases combined [1]. The World Health Organization (WHO) deemed a coordinated international response essential to control the outbreak, declaring it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 8 August 2014 [2]. It has been argued that the 2014/15 EVD epidemic was an avoidable crisis and that a timely response would have limited its scale [5]. The insufficient capacity for rapid outbreak response highlighted during this outbreak has driven agencies across the world to improve their capacity for rapid deployment and response. This enhanced ability to respond has been achieved through developing current capacity and the formation of specific rapid response teams [6].
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