Three impoverished countries, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, all with weak health infrastructure are bearing the brunt of what is becoming the most significant public health emergency experienced in Africa this century. The response to Ebola in the longer term must be linked to the broader effort to strengthen health systems including workforce training. Functional primary health systems that are needed for infectious and non-communicable should be part of the response.Ivory Coast sits on the front line waiting for cases to cross its borders. With cases arising in US and Europe, Africa’s Ebola problem is rapidly becoming a Global Ebola problem.Ebola isn’t terribly contagious but until patients can be safely identified, isolated and provided with appropriate care it will not be possible to bring this epidemic under control. That exposure has been killing the very people who have been committed to help sufferers, but who have not had adequate basic protective clothing and materials which is a cruel irony. The outbreak has killed more than 3,860 people, with more than 200 health workers among the victims. This epidemic has exposed a major weakness in our commitments to “One Global Health” – the inequality between the developed and developing world health infrastructure. Professor Sue Welburn Vice Principal, Global Impact, University of Edinburgh University of Edinburgh, series focuses on the Ebola crisisIn response to the growing global problem of Ebola the University’s Global Academies are running a series of free public events looking at the crisis.Series focuses on Ebola CrisisVideos and PodcastsVideos and podcats of talks, seminars and events on the Ebola Crisis.Videos and Podcasts This article was published on 2024-09-24