This episode unpacks how a major Ebola outbreak in Central Africa exposed critical gaps in global health surveillance and assesses U.S. preparedness for future biological threats.
Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR
Guest:
Thomas J. Bollyky, Bloomberg Chair in Global Health; Senior Fellow for International Economics, Law, and Development; and Director of the Global Health Program
We Discuss:
- The current state of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, and why the case count was already high by the time authorities reported it.
- Why governments are often slow to report cases during outbreaks, and what delayed reporting may have cost in this instance.
- Why the WHO has discouraged trade and travel restrictions.
- How the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO is shaping a more limited response.
- Whether China is stepping in to fill the global health leadership gap left by U.S. institutional withdrawal.
- What the politicization of mRNA vaccine technology means for the U.S. ability to respond to future outbreaks that require rapid vaccine deployment.
- How artificial intelligence creates opportunities to accelerate global health responses, but also introduces new risks like engineered pathogens.
Mentioned on the Episode:
CDC Health Alert: Ebola Disease Outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, May 19, 2026
WHO Disease Outbreak News: Ebola caused by Bundibugyo Virus, DRC and Uganda, May 21, 2026
WHO Declaration of Public Health Emergency of International Concern, May 17, 2026
Bollyky et al., "Assessing COVID-19 pandemic policies and behaviours and their economic and educational trade-offs across US states from Jan 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022: an observational analysis," The Lancet
CDC Mobilizes International Response Following Ebola Disease Outbreak, May 18, 2026
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/americas-ebola-preparedness
Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
