World Health Organisation failings exacerbated the ebola crisis, report finds

Failings by the World Health Organisation (WHO) played a key role in the ebola disaster, according to new report.

An independent panel of 20 experts, led by a top British scientist, called for sweeping reforms to ensure there is no repeat of the catastrophe — which claimed 11,000 lives.

They were especially critical of the WHO, the United Nations body set up in 1948 to lead the global fight against disease and ill health. The biggest mistake that contributed to the scale of the epidemic was said to be the WHO’s failure to act quickly when early signs of the outbreak emerged in 2014.