The Ebola crisis in West Africa thrust health systems into the spotlight. But spotlights have a tendency to move quickly, from one front-page priority to the next.
Public opinion has a big role to play in focusing attention. Strengthening health systems and preventing future epidemics are goals more likely to rise on the political agenda when citizens in donor countries think they are important. A new poll commissioned by the World Bank suggests that’s exactly what people think.
Ebola has faded from the headlines, and many within the global health community feared public support for epidemic prevention would decline alongside infection statistics. Rarely has a disease ever shed such clear light on the systemic factors of a health disaster, and global health professionals seized the opportunity to press for health systems investment in under-resourced countries.
About the author
Jeff Tyson@jtyson21
Jeff is a former global development reporter for Devex. Based in Washington, D.C., he covers multilateral affairs, U.S. aid, and international development trends. He has worked with human rights organizations in both Senegal and the U.S., and prior to joining Devex worked as a production assistant at National Public Radio. He holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and French from the University of Rochester.
