Responding to Bird Flu and Ebola
Diseases do not recognize borders, and their spread can threaten American citizens in our interconnected world. In 2014, for example, an Ebola outbreak in West Africa quickly spread to Dallas, TX. Stopping diseases before they cross our borders is often the most effective and least costly way of protecting Americans from pandemics. Five-time ambassador Nancy Powell spent a significant part of her career keeping Americans and others safe from disease. In 2005-06, Powell served as the State Department’s Senior Coordinator for Avian Influenza and Infectious Diseases. After playing a substantial role in America’s response to avian influenza, she returned from retirement to lead the State Department’s fight against Ebola in West Africa in 2014.
When Powell became Senior Coordinator for Avian Influenza, the situation was urgent. “In about a three-week span, we had outbreaks in 10 countries,” Powell explained. “That spurred us on, and we had to move much more quickly.” In four months, Powell coordinated the various sources of expertise scattered throughout the U.S. government, organized an inter-agency bird flu task force, and worked with the United Nations and World Health Organization to develop a global containment strategy. She also helped other nations prepare for the pandemic, minimizing the spread of the disease. For example, Powell helped organize a team that supported the Turkish government’s response to a bird flu outbreak and sent experts to help unprepared countries develop their own response strategies. For her work, she was awarded the Homeland Security Service to America Medal in 2006.
“In about a three-week span, we had outbreaks in ten countries. That spurred us on, and we had to move much more quickly. ”
Nancy Powell
In 2014, an Ebola outbreak overwhelmed health services in West Africa, killing thousands of people, and an infected individual who flew into Dallas began infecting others. President Obama declared Ebola a national security priority, and Powell was called back from retirement to serve as Ebola Coordinator for the State Department. “I think my experience leading the avian influenza team and my previous work on Africa with National Security Advisor Susan Rice led to the call,” Powell recalls. “I had been following developments…and was very concerned that the international community did not seem to be stepping up, so it was a little hard to say no.” Moving quickly, she put together a small but dedicated response team that, in her words, “worked long hours to secure and coordinate international support and to help the missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea cope with the disease and the influx of assistance.”
Over the following months, Ambassador Powell and countless diplomats, government officials, development assistance experts, and frontline healthcare workers worked together to contain the Ebola outbreak, protecting the health of American citizens.
