The UK aid response to global health threats
While health has been a major focus of UK aid for many years, the response to and lessons from the Ebola crisis stimulated a rapid scaling up of activity and spending to address global health threats.
Summary
Between 2014 and 2016 the Ebola crisis killed more than 11,000 people. The outbreak led to a protracted humanitarian emergency in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, exposed weaknesses in epidemic preparedness and response, and highlighted failings within the World Health Organization (WHO) and across the international health emergency response system.
The response to and lessons from the Ebola crisis prompted a rapid scaling up of activity and spending to address global health threats. ICAI has conducted a review into this scaling up of activity.
This review on the UK aid response to global health threats gave a ‘green/amber’ rating, recognising a relevant and coherent strategy for responding to global health threats, and makes four recommendations.