The recent Ebola outbreak in Western Africa has had serious implications for human security and economic development in the affected countries. The economic, security and humanitarian dimensions of such a health crisis call for action in different sectors and at several levels – global, regional, national and local. The challenges that emerged to assist affected nations in managing and containing the Ebola outbreak raise the question as to which contributions local and international security institutions can and should make in response to global health crises. The Global Health Centre (GHC) and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), therefore, initiated this project to bridge and bring the health and security sector communities closer together to provide a more coherent, cross-sectorial approach to this global challenge.
This policy brief addresses the main lessons and outlines things to be done to ensure better preparedness for the next global health crisis.