Statement From Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, on Ebola Outbreak

The news that the current Ebola outbreak in Central Africa may have circulated undetected for weeks and is now crossing borders is a reckoning for everyone with a stake in global health — from leaders at the World Health Assembly this week to heads of state, local health departments, frontline clinics, and each of us. Pandemic prevention is in all our interests: The Rockefeller Foundation urges leaders at the WHA and beyond to take urgent action to make it a reality.

Twelve years ago, Ebola reminded the world the hard way of what happens when we are unprepared. That outbreak killed more than 11,000 people across West Africa, infected more than twice that many, and reached American shores. Many of us pledged to never let such an outbreak happen again.

In the years since, countries across Africa have made real strides on regional laboratory and surveillance systems. The United States and many others have also supported that work through overseas development assistance and other avenues. For example, U.S.-supported programs led by USAID helped countries detect outbreaks earlier, trace contacts faster, strengthen laboratories, and train frontline health workers.

The disease threat has not changed: Ebola and other viruses do not respect borders, politics, ideology, or any transactional deals. But we’ve let our frontline defenses down. Last year, countries, including the United States, cut overseas development assistance by $40 billion, including for health services. That’s historic decimation of what we know works to prevent viruses and other threats from breaking out.

At The Rockefeller Foundation, we believe we can urgently work together to protect people everywhere. The answer is not to rebuild the old system but to build a smarter one — pairing AI-powered surveillance, genomic sequencing, and real-time data with strong local health systems and sustained investment in frontline capacity, especially in fragile regions where outbreaks spread fastest.

This is not charity, it’s common sense. Recent polling found 88% of Americans and 91% of people worldwide believe international cooperation is essential to tackling outbreaks. We are ready to work with anyone who shares that conviction. The time is now.