Presented at the 64th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe.

1. - 1
Ebola in West Africa
Briefing to the EUR Regional Committee
18 September 2014

2. - 2
Current Situation
● Most severe, complex Ebola outbreak in 40 years
● Evolution from outbreak to top level regional & global health
security challenge
● >5000 cases in 5 countries
● Impact on health, food, travel, economics, security, well-being
● Common challenges but important differences by country

3. - 3
Trend and location of Ebola cases
as of 15 September 2014

4. - 4
Critical country level challenges
● Underlying weakness of health systems and infrastructure
● Stopping transmission by separating infected from uninfected
● (Health) workers to care for ill / transport bodies
● Cross-border infections, surveillance, communication, social mobilization
● Social consequences
● National anxiety & tension related to food prices & insecurity, economics,
lack of airlines, evacuation, media stories, security ……
● Support
● Scale & harmonization of global, national & community levels

5. - 5
Critical Regional & Global challenges
● Impact beyond affected countries
● Confusion, security, economics
● Moving from discussion to effective action at-scale
● UN & partner coordination
● Speed of evolving strategies, actions & events
● Getting ahead
● Preparedness (neighbors & beyond)
● From experimental to effective medicines, vaccines

6. - 6
Important Trends
● Community engagement
● Expanding strategies
● Addition of community-based Ebola care centers
● Accelerating medicine & vaccine safety / effectiveness studies
● 2 vaccines entering Phase 1 (safety) studies
● Initial results anticipated in November
● Continued efforts to increase scale, effectiveness and
harmonization of international support