4 Myths About Ebola Recovery in West Africa

GLOBAL HEALTH NOW Commentary by  Michael Murphy and Alan Ricks                       April 14, 2015
The aftermath of the world’s worst Ebola outbreak in history provides an important opportunity to reflect on the response; but most importantly, to acknowledge we have much more to do...our great fear is that the international community will declare Ebola’s containment a victory and move on, without addressing the reasons the outbreak was so devastating in the first place. The crisis is the canary in the mine, indicating a broader problem that long existed.

An unfortunate reality that plagues development assistance worldwide is what we call “short-termism.” It’s the tendency to mobilize health infrastructure resources only in crises. This is a reactive and costly strategy that prioritizes temporary stabilization without considerations for long-term security.... 

Following the earthquake in Haiti and subsequent cholera outbreak, billions were invested, but very little in permanent infrastructure. In Haiti, only 5.6 of the 9.2 billion dollars pledged for recovery was ever issued; more striking is that less than one percent went to the Haitian government. Five years later, the Haitian government’s capacity to invest in long-term infrastructure and grow its economy is thwarted by this over-prioritization of humanitarian relief funding. Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf fears similar consequences in Liberia...

Can we truly build back better in West Africa after Ebola? The answer is definitely yes. But first, we need to think about investing in physical infrastructure differently, and debunk four myths that mislead public opinion..

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