The UK's multidisciplinary response to an Ebola epidemic

Sian Reece; Colin S Brown; Jake Dunning; Meera A Chand; Maria C Zambon; Michael Jacobs

doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.17-4-332

The UK's multidisciplinary response to an Ebola epidemic

Clin Med (Lond). 2017 Jul;17(4):332-337. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.17-4-332.

Authors

Sian Reece¹, Colin S Brown², Jake Dunning³, Meera A Chand⁴, Maria C Zambon⁵, Michael Jacobs⁶

Affiliations

¹ Public Health England, London, UK.
² Public Health England, London, UK and ex-specialty registrar, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK colinbrown@doctors.net.uk.
³ Public Health England, London, UK and honorary visiting research fellow, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
⁴ Public Health England, London, UK and Department of Infectious Diseases, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
⁵ National Infectious Service, Public Health England, London, UK.
⁶ Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

Abstract

The West African Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic was the largest and most devastating outbreak of EVD the world has ever seen. Its impact was felt far from the shores of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with public health systems and clinicians across the globe confronted with an international response both in the affected region and within their own borders. The UK had a prominent role in response efforts, particularly in Sierra Leone. This article highlights how UK academic, health service, military, commercial and public health professionals all played a significant role both at home and abroad.

Keywords: Ebola; Sierra Leone; UK; outbreak; planning; resilience; response.

MeSH terms

Disaster Planning
Epidemics*
Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola*
Humans
Patient Care Team*
Sierra Leone
United Kingdom