Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Apr 1;15(4):650.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph15040650.

The Effectiveness of International Non-Governmental Organizations' Response Operations during Public Health Emergency: Lessons Learned from the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in Sierra Leone

Yoon Ah Shin  1 , Jungwon Yeo  2 , Kyujin Jung  3
Affiliations

The Effectiveness of International Non-Governmental Organizations' Response Operations during Public Health Emergency: Lessons Learned from the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in Sierra Leone

Yoon Ah Shin et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs) have played critical roles in improving the quality of primary health care in ordinary time and, indeed, responding to epidemic crises in developing countries. Due to a lack of empirical research for effectiveness of their responding activities, the legitimacy and accountability of nonprofits' engagement in the health crisis as a critical responder is doubted. This paper aims to examine the effectiveness of INGOs in a context of managing a fatal epidemic outbreak of Ebola in Sierra Leone during May-November, 2014; building healthcare infrastructures, providing medical supplies, educating local residents, and training response staffs. The analysis results show that development of healthcare infrastructures and provision of medical supplies have been significantly effective in terms of decreasing the severity of the crisis in chiefdoms. The findings imply that policy tools, which allow INGOs to enter to the field in a timely manner, can improve the effectiveness of INGOs' responses in current and future epidemic outbreaks in developing countries where people suffer from a lack of health infrastructures.

Keywords: Ebola Outbreak; Sierra Leone; international nongovernmental organization; public health emergency responses.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
INGOs’ Response Effectiveness Framework.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Burkle F.M., Jr. Globalization and disasters: Issues of public health, state capacity and political action. J. Int. Aff. 2006;59:241–265.
    1. Green A., Matthias A. Non-Governmental Organizations and Health in Developing Countries. Springer; Berlin, Germany: 1996.
    1. Beyrer C., Gauri V., Vaillancourt D. Evaluation of the World Bank’s Assistance in Responding to the AIDS Epidemic: Brazil Case Study. World Bank; Washington, DC, USA: 2005.
    1. Liebowitz J. The Impact of Faith-Based Organizations on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Mitigation in Africa. University of Natal, Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division; Durban, South Africa: 2006. [(accessed on 10 January 2015)]. Available online: http://www.popline.org/node/249989.
    1. Trinitapoli J. Religious responses to AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa: An examination of religious congregations in rural Malawi. Rev. Relig. Res. 2006;47:253–270.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources