The 2013-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa: critical analysis of a crisis primarily social

Abstract

The health crisis in West Africa between 2013 and 2016 is coming to an end. The various political, health, and institutional players, involved at various levels, either directly or indirectly in the field, have drawn lessons from this dramatic event, which comprised a number of management errors. The first article of this issue proposes a framework assessment of the concepts and notions involved during the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in order to identify the modalities of management of the crisis. This more objective view is based on our experience in the field between 2005 and 2007 following the Ebola epidemic in Central Africa. We propose an analysis of these health crises that highlights the errors and inconsistencies related to the management of the health emergency. In particular, we discuss the meanings of the various terms used to describe Ebola to illustrate the underlying ideology and propose a resolutely critical approach to the resulting management, emphasizing the importance of the development of contextual and long-term approaches, which need to be more frequently taken into account in order to improve the management of future crises.