ISGlobal’s Response over the Course of the Ebola Epidemic

The Ebola epidemic in West Africa was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO in August 2014. Since then, ISGlobal has undertaken a series of actions with the aim of improving the preparedness and response to the disease at the national level, but also among international organizations and even on the field.

ISGlobal has undertaken a series of actions with the aim of improving the preparedness and response to the disease

Some of the major actions by the institution include: 

Scientific and technical assessment

• Participation in the “Comité Científico de Asesoramiento para la Enfermedad del Ébola”, (CCAMVE): Experts from ISGlobal and other institutions undertook the monitoring and assessment of the disease in order to inform evidence-based decisions on behalf of the Catalan Government. The CCAMVE recently wrote its final report and recommendations that were sent to the Secretary of Public Health, Dr. Joan Guix. 

• Assessment for the refurbishing and launching of the microbiology laboratory at the St Joseph’s Catholic Hospital in Monrovia, in collaboration with the Juan Ciudad Foundation and the participation of Dr. Juan Carlos Hurtado. 

• Through Dr. Cesar Velasco, participation in the WHO advisory workgroup on Ebola vaccines (SAGE). 

• Participation in the WHO’s Ebola response workgroup on maternal and child health, through Dr. Clara Menéndez.

Projects

European (EDCTP-TCR) funding obtained for a project aimed at strengthening laboratory capacities in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital of Monrovia. The 18-month project is led by ISGlobal in collaboration with the St Joseph’s Hospital and the Juan Ciudad Foundation.

Training

• Organization of a workshop on capacity strengthening in Latin America and the Caribbean, in collaboration with AECID and PAHO, in Antigua, Guatemala , on May 20 and 21, 2015. The workshop’s goal was to strengthen the region’s capacity to respond to future infectious disease outbreaks. 

• Training of hospital staff from the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona and the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, with the collaboration of Doctors without Borders.

Advocacy

• Promotion of the new law for healthcare volunteers (article 24) that legally protects professionals that participate in cooperation projects. 
• Promotion to the approval of the agreement between the Health Department, the Medical College Counsil, the Nurse College Counsil, the Catalan Institute for Health, the Catalan Union of Hospitals and the Health Consortia of Catalonya, to establish a collaboration framework for healthcare worker mobilization to countries with Ebola or other infectious disease outbreaks. 

Certainly, these actions are only a grain of sand compared to the magnitude of one of the most fatal outbreaks in recent history

Certainly, these actions are only a grain of sand compared to the magnitude of one of the most fatal outbreaks in recent history.

An outbreak that started more than two years ago with the first index case, that has not come to a complete end, and that has resulted in more than 28,000 infected people, 11,300 deaths and 17,000 survivors with potential long-term health consequences.

With this in mind, we have, in addition, conducted an analysis of the direct and indirect consequences of the crisis as well as the lessons to be drawn for global health.   

More information

Digital Report "Ebola: Two Years and 11,300 Deaths Later"