As Ebola Crisis Ebbs, Aid Agencies Turn To Building Up Health Systems

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO by Nurith Aizenman                March 23, 2015

Recruiting and training new health workers is key, because experts warn that unless the health systems in West Africa are brought up to scratch, an epidemic on the scale of this one will happen again.

Unfortunately, building national health systems doesn't tend to attract a lot of love from international donors, says Erin Hohlfelder, who's been pushing for this kind of funding on behalf of the ONE Campaign, a global health advocacy group.

"It's certainly not as 'sexy' — quote unquote — as things like treatment for HIV or bed nets for malaria, which are very tangible and easy to understand."

She says at least for now, the international community does seem to get the importance of building up West Africa's health systems. The governments of the affected countries are preparing national plans to present at a meeting of the World Bank next month

If there is a silver lining of this horrible crisis, it's the ability to illustrate why investing in health systems is so important."

Read complete interviw and see video.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/03/23/394324540/as-ebola-crisis-ebbs-aid-agencies-turn-to-building-up-health-systems