The Ebola virus outbreak is a global health crisis with its centre of gravity in three West African countries that are amongst the poorest on the planet.

The impact of the current outbreak has been immense; over 5000 deaths directly from Ebola and many more indirectly from diseases and events (e.g. childbirth) that could have been prevented.

Resources are now pouring into West Africa to support the local public health response and there is evidence that the epidemic tide is turning.  Nonetheless, missteps have been made and the preparedness of the World Health Organisation with remits to help fight Ebola, have been questioned.

Outside of the affected countries and here in Australia, the national response to the Ebola outbreak has been politicised without any tangible benefit to those most affected.

To talk on the outbreak of the Ebola virus and the political and public health response, the AIIAV is delighted to welcome Professor Cameron Simmons from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne.  Professor Simmons is also Professor of Infectious Diseases at The University of Oxford. He has extensive experience in emerging infectious diseases research and his work on emerging infectious diseases has taken him across the world during times when other regional infectious disease threats, such as “bird ‘flu” and SARS, made headlines.