Following criticism for its delayed response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the World Health Organization has created a contingency fund and emergency workforce to respond to crises more quickly, according to a Reuters report.
WHO Director-general Margaret Chan, MD, called an emergency meeting to discuss the importance of strengthening the agency's crisis management and recruitment of frontline workers.
At the meeting, an executive board of 34 members agreed unanimously to adopt a resolution proposed by the U.S. and South Africa seeking major reforms. Suggestions included raising the emergency workforce from 1,000 to 1,500 individuals and maintaining an emergency fund of $100 million.
WHO assistant director-general in charge of the Ebola response Bruce Aylward told Reuters of the new measures, "What you see here is the potential for some of the most wide-ranging and sweeping reforms in any area of WHO that we've seen almost since the organization was established."
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