TBI ended it's work in Guinea in 2020.
Writing about the lessons learned from the outbreak on the FT.com, the founder and patron of the Africa Governance Initiative said that “the fight against Ebola has demanded huge strength of character; but bound by a common cause, the leaders, officials, and citizens of these countries - together with their international partners - have stemmed the spread of one of the world's most deadly diseases.”
He said that three lessons have come out of the outbreak: first, that there is no substitute for political leadership; second, that governments and international organisations need to ensure sure everyone is working together; and third, that the same lessons will apply to the recovery as apply to the crisis.
Commending the leaders of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, he said that “Presidents Sirleaf, Koroma and Conde have all shown great courage in the face of adversity. They have led the way, making tough decisions under great pressure, and bringing their people together in the most difficult circumstances. When crisis hits, the calibre of the decision making counts.”
Mr. Blair’s foundation, the AGI, has been supporting the fight against Ebola since August last year, having previously been working with governments in the affected countries to deliver reforms for their people. Having shifted their focus, the foundation has today released a report, State of Emergency: how government fought Ebola, which looks at the challenges faced by the people at the heart of the response in the three countries, and how they have overcome them.
Since the Ebola outbreak began, Mr. Blair has seen this work first-hand during two visits to the region. He said that each and every one of the thousands of international workers who came to help “deserves our praise,” but that it is the government in these countries who ultimately made sure “all the things they are working on, fit together.”
He said that “Liberia is already looking to a more optimistic future” but that “as Sierra Leone and Guinea prepare to do so, they too can take strength from their response to the outbreak.” As the countries begin to look to the future, Mr. Blair also added that “in the face of an unprecedented epidemic, their focus on co-ordination helped to turn the tide,” and that “stronger governance helped them overcome crisis; it will help them recover, too.”
The work described here was carried out by the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative, it is now being continued by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.