The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Sunday (January25) it will create a contingency fund and an emergency workforce to respond quickly to crises after strong criticism of the agency’s delay in confronting the Ebola epidemic. Director general Dr Margaret Chan said at an emergency meeting called to discuss the agency’s Ebola response that the outbreak showed the need to strengthen WHO’s crisis management and to streamline procedures for recruiting frontline workers.

Ebola has been "a mega crisis and it overwhelmed the capacity of WHO", she told a news briefing. "Member states truly understand that the world does need a collective defense mechanism for global health security."

In the past year, 21,724 Ebola cases have been reported in nine countries and 8,641 people have died, according to the WHO, which says West Africa's outbreak is ebbing.

A resolution seeking major reforms, brought by the United States and South Africa, was adopted by consensus at the meeting of the 34-member executive board.

Major donors welcomed agreement on the emergency fund, which a WHO committee had recommended in 2011 should contain $100 million after the 2009-2010 influenza pandemic. Chan told reporters that the figure was "a good starting point".

Ebola cases are declining in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Chan said. "But we must maintain the momentum and guard against complacency and donor fatigue."