Expert warns global health system ill-equipped for Bundibugyo Ebola strain
A biochemistry professor from University College Cork has criticised the reactive nature of global epidemic preparedness, calling for sustained institutional resilience over crisis-driven improvisation.
Professor Anne Moore of University College Cork has issued a stark warning regarding the international health system’s capacity to manage the latest Ebola outbreak linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain. Speaking on France 24’s Spotlight programme on 18 May 2026, Moore argued that the current global response is defined by damage control rather than prevention, leaving significant gaps in diagnostic and medical capabilities.
Moore highlighted that while vaccines and tests have proven efficacy against the Zaire strain of the virus, there is currently no proof that these countermeasures work against the Bundibugyo variant. Furthermore, existing diagnostic tests have not yet been designed to detect this specific strain, creating a critical blind spot in the international health infrastructure.
The professor emphasised that shrinking international funding is actively weakening the capacity for a coordinated global response. She described the current state of preparedness as merely plugging gaps instead of deploying the full range of countermeasures that should be available, a situation exacerbated by donor fatigue and fluctuating political priorities.
Defending the essential role of the World Health Organization in coordinating international health efforts, Moore urged for international solidarity and institutional resilience. She warned against allowing political distractions or media cycles to influence health policy, noting that viruses do not adhere to news schedules or budgetary cycles.
Moore compared epidemic preparedness to maintaining a fire station, arguing that systems must be funded, staffed, and trusted before a crisis occurs. She stated that global health systems cannot be improvised in moments of panic; they require sustained investment to ensure that when a threat emerges, the necessary resources are immediately available to contain it.
