The Ebola epidemic that has ravaged West Africa – Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone in particular – since 2014 had led to more than 28,000 reported cases by October 2015, with implications not only for the health of communities involved, but also in terms of its impact on the region’s economies and overall development and on international security.

Co-authored by public health experts working with institutions, research centers and non-governmental organizations, this article looks at some of the problematic aspects of the international community’s handling of the outbreak, with a particular focus on the role of the European Community. These aspects – which included, but were not limited to, a lack of coordination among the countries involved as well as a failure to intervene in a timely manner – led to a response that was not nearly as effective as it could have been, highlighting the need for institutions, humanitarian organizations and governments to think about ways to improve Europe’s role should similar circumstances arise in the future.