17 Integrating Clinical Research into Ebola Response: Liberia Case Study

Once considered unrealistic, conducting clinical research during response to infectious disease emergencies has become the norm among scientists, industry, and government officials, thanks in part to ground-breaking research during the 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak. The swift development of safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) made clear that research response is imperative. In confronting the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak, U.S. and Liberian officials and other stakeholders worked out a partnership to manage and coordinate research efforts, including choosing research targets and supporting capacity-building investments that might bear fruit most quickly. The results in Liberia, and later in other low- to middle-income countries facing outbreaks of new or re-emerging infectious diseases, demonstrate that research response, in the right circumstances, can accelerate the end of an outbreak. Alongside improvements in preparedness for such research, the requirements for success include close professional cooperation and joint research management, along with winning the trust of stakeholder communities.