Ebola survivors are essential partners in outbreak preparedness, response and recovery 

A new article co-authored by LSTM’s Dr Shevin Jacob highlights the critical role that Ebola disease survivors can play in strengthening trust, improving community engagement, and supporting outbreak response.

Using oral history methods, researchers collected testimonies from survivors in Uganda and Liberia, exploring their experiences of illness, treatment and recovery. These accounts also provided valuable insights into the social dynamics of disease transmission and control.

The article demonstrates how survivors bring unique experiential expertise that complements clinical, epidemiological and public health knowledge. It highlights how their lived experiences can help communities better understand Ebola treatment, address fears and misconceptions, and encourage timely care-seeking during outbreaks.

Findings from the study suggest that survivors naturally serve as community, trusted messengers and advisors, and should therefore be recognised as knowledge holders and valued partners in preparedness, response and recovery efforts. It also acknowledges that many survivors who took part in the study reported persistent physiological symptoms and psychological distress, underlining the importance of voluntary, ethical and trauma-informed engagement practices.

This work formed part of the Wellcome-funded Evaluation of Clinical Management Guidelines for High Consequence Infectious Diseases programme, led by the University of Oxford in partnership with Walimu Uganda and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

Read the full article by visiting : Why Ebola survivors belong at the decision-making table