Reflecting on a Historic Ebola Response

Photos from the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola Epidemic

What to know

The photos below capture the historic response to the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic. Thousands of CDC staff contributed unique expertise in epidemiology, laboratory, infection prevention and control, community engagement, and more. Ten years later, the lessons learned from this response continue to transform the world and save lives.

A joyful woman with arms raised celebrates with a doctor and community members in the background.

Photo essay

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Illustration of the Ebola virus, showing its long, twisted, structure on a dark background.
CDC artist’s rendering of the Ebola virus. There are five identified Ebola virus species, four of which are known to cause disease in humans.
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People boarding a U.S. Army helicopter on a grassy field, carrying backpacks and gear, ready for departure.
David Blackley, CDC responder, prepares to board a U.S. Army helicopter to travel to a remote village in Liberia as part of a RITE (Rapid Isolation and Treatment of Ebola) team.
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Two scientists in protective suits working in a lab, handling samples and checking data.
CDC microbiologist James Graziano and virologist Johanna Salazar test blood samples for Ebola at CDC’s lab in Bo, Sierra Leone.
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Map with numbered areas marked by green and red push pins indicating specific locations.
A map at the District Emergency Response Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, shows the locations of known Ebola cases. The response center housed the 117 call center for such cases.
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A group of people practicing handwashing techniques, with one person demonstrating while others observe.
Infection control supervisor Simone Loua (left) reinforces proper hand washing techniques during a field supervision visit to a small clinic in N’Zérékoré, Guinea.
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An Ebola awareness poster on a mud wall in a rural setting, detailing symptoms and prevention.
An “Ebola is Real” campaign poster part of a CDC-supported risk communications campaign effort in a Liberian village.
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A row of yellow and green gloves drying on a wooden fence in an outdoor setting, with workers in the background.
A staff member rests outside an Ebola treatment center.
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A woman in a STRIVE shirt handling vials from a blue cooler, with two others assisting.
Nurses at a vaccination site in Freetown, Sierra Leone, sign for chain of custody for the Ebola vaccine as part CDC's on the ground efforts.
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A joyful woman with arms raised celebrates with a doctor and community members in the background.
Ebola survivor, Ruth, celebrates as she is released from the Ebola treatment unit.
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Global Health Center