WHO report admits incompetent staff failed to combat Ebola outbreak
In leaked internal report, UN agency blames its own bureaucracy and wrong containment methods, as critic says it acted far too slowly
The World Health Organisation has admitted it botched attempts to stop the now-spiralling Ebola outbreak in West Africa, blaming factors including incompetent staff and a lack of information.
In a draft internal document, the agency wrote that experts should have realised that traditional infectious disease containment methods wouldn't work in a region with porous borders and broken health systems.
The UN health agency acknowledged that, at times, even its own bureaucracy was a problem. It noted the heads of WHO country offices in Africa were "politically motivated appointments" made by the WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, who does not answer to the agency's chief in Geneva, Dr Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun.
WHO is the UN's specialised health agency, responsible for coordinating the global response to disease outbreaks.
Dr Peter Piot, the co-discoverer of the Ebola virus, agreed yesterday WHO acted far too slowly, largely because of its Africa office.