Key data for outbreak evaluation: building on the Ebola experience

Cori, Anne; Donnelly, Christl A.; Dorigatti, Ilaria; Ferguson, Neil M.; Fraser, Christophe; Garske, Tini; Jombart, Thibaut; Nedjati-Gilani, Gemma; Nouvellet, Pierre; Riley, Steven; Van Kerkhove, Maria D.; Mills, Harriet L.; Blake, Isobel M.

The data collected during the Ebola epidemic allowed many analyses to be performed, which informed the response. However, as in many outbreak situations, it has not been possible to systematically quantify the relative contribution of different interventions (such as safe burials, hospitalization, contact tracing and community mobilization) in reducing transmission. This is because data on where and when these interventions took place were not centrally recorded and released in a timely fashion. Efforts have been made to collate some information from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea [115] ; however, this commenced late in the epidemic. As this effort relies on different organizations to contribute data, the submissions are in different formats and are unlikely to provide comprehensive information. In the midst of a global public health crisis resources are often deployed favouring implementation rather than documentation of interventions. However, we would argue that securing some resources to monitor interventions-especially during the early stages-is critical to optimally prioritizing future control efforts.