Initial responses to infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19, Ebola, and Sars can be characterized by confusion, chaos and denial. Although an individual country can be overwhelmed by a serious outbreak, mobilizing the assistance needed internationally can help prevent a pandemic or further national epidemics.
But the window of opportunity to respond effectively closes rapidly, and outbreaks can quickly become a humanitarian crisis without an international response. Issues which often prevent such a response include political manoeuvring, inadequate financial agility, a lack of coordination, ambivalence towards response structures, and tensions in key relationships.
