ABSTRACT
The outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa occurred between 2014 and 2016 and was the largest on record with an unprecedented number of reported cases (n = 28,616 at 9 August 2016) and deaths. The Ebola outbreak undermined already fragile national healthcare systems that were unprepared at almost every level to contain the disease. Several key factors have been identified as directly contributing to the rapid spread of the EVD in West Africa, including the health systems, healthcare workers and poor transportation services. Ebola control efforts must actively involve people and many agencies did learn from their earlier mistakes in the outbreak to make a genuine attempt to better engage with communities. Health promotion made an important contribution to the outbreak because it enabled people to take more control over their lives and health. The Community-Led Ebola Action (CLEA) approach encourages the community to take responsibility and local actions to directly address an Ebola outbreak.
