20191024225303report_independent_panel_hhs_ebola_response.pdf

Report of the Independent Panel on the
U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) Ebola Re
sponse
Ju ne 2016

Foreword
The Independent Panel on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Ebola Response is pleased to provide this report. First, we want to commend HHS for its
extraordinary domestic and international response to the largest and most complex Ebola
epidemic on record. The performance of thousands of HHS staff members was a
testament to the public service ethos of the Department.
Our investigation included research into public and internal documents, interviews with
hundreds of individuals inside and outside of government, careful deliberations, and
extensive review of our findings and recommendations with government officials and
other stakeholders. We found notable opportunities for improvement in leadership and
organization, communication, management, and logistics, as well as in development and
use of vaccines and treatments. Our report makes recommendations to address each of
these areas.
On behalf of the Panel, I want to thank you for your interest in this work. We strongly
believe that the actions we recommend will enable HHS to respond even more capably in
future outbreaks.
Jonathan Fielding
Chair, Independent Panel on the HHS Ebola Response
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Executive Summary
To capture critical lessons from the Ebola epidemic of 2014–2016, the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) asked CNA to convene an independent panel of
public health, healthcare, emergency response, and communication experts to review the
Department’s international and domestic responses. This report summarizes the
Independent Panel’s assessment of HHS’s challenges—and, where appropriate,
challenges facing the broader U.S. government—and presents recommendations for
addressing future urgent public health threats.
The Ebola epidemic that began in West Africa was a seminal event for the global public
health response community. The epidemic crystalized the importance of national disease
surveillance capacities and timely multilateral coordination. The World Health
Organization (WHO) and others acknowledge that investments must be made in the
ability of countries to detect, report, and respond to urgent public health threats, and that
reforms are needed to strengthen WHO’s role as the worldwide protector of health [1-2].
As part of this global community, HHS made significant contributions to controlling the
epidemic abroad and safeguarding the United States from the risk of Ebola. Through its
efforts, many lessons emerged. The most salient lessons related to internal government
coordination, collaboration with international partners, communication with the public and
key stakeholders, and the need to meet the high demand for public health and medical
support at home and abroad.