Collapse and Resiliency

The Inside Story of Liberia's Unprecedented Ebola Response

An insider account of how an African public health leader responded to an unprecedented Ebola outbreak.

Tolbert Nyenswah, LLB, MPH, DrPH, was the assistant minister of health and deputy chief medical officer in Liberia when the 2014 Ebola epidemic struck. Nyenswah, the incident manager who led the response, became known as the "Ebola Czar" for his pivotal role in combating the epidemic despite his government's lack of resources. His story underscores the public health strategies that succeeded and those that failed, highlighting important lessons in managing current and future outbreaks.

In Collapse and Resiliency, Nyenswah presents an insider's view of Liberia's response to the deadly Ebola epidemic. Nyenswah describes the fascinating journey from his childhood in a rural Liberian village to leading his country's response to the deadly outbreak, providing a deeply personal account of how the epidemic was finally controlled despite a depleted health care system. Prior to the Ebola epidemic, Liberia suffered from a protracted and ruthless civil war. Despite these challenges, Nyenswah and his team fostered a coordinated, community-based crisis response.

Weaving together stories of effective and ineffective practices with the lived experiences that developed his skills to manage such a high-stress program, Nyenswah details how organizations worked together and what were the best public health methods to fight the spread of the disease. Unlike many books about Ebola in West Africa, Nyenswah provides both an expert account and a local voice. His story highlights the power imbalance during cooperative projects between western and nonwestern collaborators.

In the only Ebola book written by a native African, the key strategist responsible for successfully ending the epidemic, Nyenswah reflects on the impacts of war and disease on the struggle to rebuild a more resilient health system and functioning society. As the world continues to reel from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this look at a terrifying outbreak reminds us that a well-prepared public health system cannot be taken for granted.

Contributor: Mardia Stone (With), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Foreword by)

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