摘要：The large number of cases and wide geographical spread distinguish the current 2014 outbreak of Ebola virus dis ease in west Africa from all known earlier outbreaks. 1 In the past, outbreaks of this disease have been stopped by identifying all cases, tracing all contacts and making sure that those caring for patients use correct protective gear at all times. However, the success of such methods depends on the presence of: (i) functional health systems; (ii) health workers who are trained, p aid, willing to be deployed and adequately protected in a dangerous work environment; (iii) experts in public health with the skills needed to manage the tracing of people and monitor the evolut ion of the dis ease effectively; and (iv) people with solid skills in social engagement and development who are available to work with at-risk communities. 2 Such systems and individuals were largely absent from the area where the current outbreak of Ebola virus diseas e is believed to have begun – a border area between three countries that all have fragile health systems and that are emerging from the traumas of civil war.
