The "volatile" world of viruses and bacteria will always deliver surprises to humanity, the head of the World Health Organisation has said, announcing major reforms.
The outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has revealed "some inadequacies and shortcomings" in the organisation’s administration and technical infrastructure, director-general Dr Margaret Chan said.
These include streamlining recruitment procedures and creating a contingency fund, she told a meeting of Ebola specialists in Geneva, Switzerland.
She said she believed the world had turned the corner in the battle against the virus – but warned against "donor fatigue."
And she said that "never again" should the world be left empty-handed without approved medicines for a disease that had been known about for decades.
She said: "Ebola is a tragedy that has taught the world, including WHO, many lessons, also about how to prevent similar events in the future. Factors of culture, history, geography, and weak road and health infrastructures produced a mix of opportunities that the virus quickly exploited."
She said the 700 WHO staff working on the crisis in three African countries are now "emotionally and physically exhausted."
She said: "Many have been in the field for months. They deserve some recognition."
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