The Cities Alliance partnership commissioned The Transformative Role of City-Community Partnerships in the Fight Against Ebola and Beyond in Greater Monrovia, Liberia to document a significant knowledge gap on how the partnerships between communities and local government contributed to the eradication of Ebola in Monrovia.
Liberia’s strategy shifted in 2015 from a top-down approach resulting in the forced quarantine of slum communities in Monrovia to a decentralised response engaging urban poor communities and local authorities in partnership. This move played a key role in turning the trajectory on new Ebola infections in the city.
Now, Liberia’s response is a success story, serving as a vital lesson for African cities undergoing rapid urban growth.
The report found that in Liberia’s urban slums, strong community networks were enlisted to help battle the disease. These networks were functional—and indeed, transformational—despite the infrastructure problems. This in turn facilitated government efforts to engage communities to help overcome the crisis.
Cities Alliance hopes this report contributes to a better understanding and appreciation of the vital importance of these partnerships, not only for future infectious disease outbreaks, but for crises of all kinds.
