The situation
New Ebola cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are declining, but it will likely take some time for the three countries, supported by the international community, to bring the epidemic fully under control.
The death and suffering caused by Ebola are only the beginning of the story. The socioeconomic impact will be felt up to a decade after the disease has ended. The epidemic has affected virtually every economic sector in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, stressed social relationships and eroded people’s trust in their governments.
The only way to prevent future Ebola epidemics of this magnitude is to address the fundamental social and political vulnerabilities that have allowed the virus to flourish, such as weak health systems and local services, poor governance, chronic poverty, and a legacy of conflict and social divisions.
In particular, the Ebola outbreak has highlighted the need to strengthen local service delivery and the authority of the State in locations away from the capitals. There needs to be a shift in the development approach, from one overly focused on the central State to one that strengthens the social contract among communities (horizontal) and between communities and the State (vertical).
While supporting on-going efforts to reach zero cases, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is working to help the three most affected countries build back better, putting them in a better position to mitigate the impact of future crises.