Global health security

The wider lessons from the west African Ebola virus disease epidemic

Bibliographic Data

ID23350385
AuthorsDavid L Heymann (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, corresponding author), Lincoln Chen (China Medical Board), Keizo Takemi, David P Fidler (Indiana University Bloomington), Jordan W Tappero (0000-0001-5538-2067), Mathew Thomas (0000-0003-2820-151X), Mathew J Thomas, Thomas Kenyon (Center for Global Health), Thomas A Kenyon, Thomas R Frieden (0000-0002-4759-2256, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Derek Yach (0000-0001-5667-6446, Vitality Institute), Sania Nishtar (Heartfile), Alex Kalache (New York Academy of Medicine), Piero Olliaro (0000-0003-1426-3680, University of Oxford), Piero L Olliaro, Peter Horby (0000-0002-9822-1586, University of Oxford), Els Torreele (0000-0002-2566-3770, Open Society Foundations), Lawrence O Gostin (0000-0001-5286-4044, Georgetown University), Margareth Ndomondo-Sigonda (0000-0002-0395-063X, Foundation for Professional Development), Daniel Carpenter (0000-0002-5694-3927, Harvard University), Simon Rushton (0000-0003-1055-9871, Chatham House), Louis Lillywhite (0000-0001-5328-6805, Chatham House), Bhimsen Devkota (0000-0001-7191-801X, Chatham House), Khalid Koser, Robert Yates (0000-0001-5337-8806, Chatham House), Rob Yates, Ranu S Dhillon (Brigham and Women's Hospital), Ravindra P Rannan‐Eliya (0000-0002-5013-2816, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka), Ravi P Rannan-Eliya
Year2015
Volume385
Issue9980
Pages1884-1901
Publication date2015-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Lancet (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0099-5355 • E-ISSN: 0140-6736
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/s0140-6736(15)60858-3
PMID25987157
OpenAlexW2108066387
LanguageEN
Citations received90
References cited54

The Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa was unprecedented in both its scale and impact. Out of this human calamity has come renewed attention to global health security--its definition, meaning, and the practical implications for programmes and policy. For example, how does a government begin to strengthen its core public health capacities, as demanded by the International Health Regulations? What counts as a global health security concern? In the context of the governance of global health, including WHO reform, it will be important to distil lessons learned from the Ebola outbreak. The Lancet invited a group of respected global health practitioners to reflect on these lessons, to explore the idea of global health security, and to offer suggestions for next steps. Their contributions describe some of the major threats to individual and collective human health, as well as the values and recommendations that should be considered to counteract such threats in the future. Many different perspectives are proposed. Their common goal is a more sustainable and resilient society for human health and wellbeing.

Disease · Ebola virus · Ebolavirus · Environmental health · Geography · Global health · Health security · Political science · Public health · Virus · Global Security and Public Health · Health and Conflict Studies · Medicine · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research · Virology