How can health systems be strengthened to control and prevent an Ebola outbreak? A narrative review

摘要

The emergence and re-emergence of infectious, zoonotic, high-risk diseases are now more than ever considered threats to public health systems (1–3). The most profound consequences of the recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were felt in Western Africa due to the failure of today's health governance (4). Rid and Emanuel (5) argue that global response mechanisms were relatively poor as a consequence of poor infrastructure, fragmented health systems, and inadequate experimental treatments. This paper addresses an overarching research question: What have been the weaknesses of primary healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and how might they be strengthened to ensure better control and prevention of Ebola outbreaks in future?