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.