2014-2016 Ebola in West Africa

Reports of an unknown fatal illness in Guinea began in December 2013, confirmed as Ebola in March 2014 by which point it was widespread in the country’s urban areas. Cases were identified in Liberia and Sierra Leone within the next two months. The disease spread rapidly in urban centers, driven by high levels of mobility between countries, contact with the infected deceased via local burial practices, and underdeveloped public health infrastructure in the affected countries. The WHO declared a PHEIC in August 2014 and coordinated an international response effort, trained health personnel in West Africa, engaged with local communities, and managed epidemiological data. Global funding efforts supported response, relief, and recovery. Sierra Leone declared its outbreak over in March 2016, followed by Liberia and Guinea in June. In total, over 28,600 cases were reported, with 39% of cases resulting in death.