Professors from three British universities say economic policies favouring debt repayment over social spending contributed to the Ebola crisis by hampering health care in three worst-hit West African countries.
In a report published by The Lancet Global Health this month the academics allege that loan conditions from the International Monetary Fund prevented an effective response to the Ebola outbreak.
The IMF denied the charges quoting World Bank data to support its argument that its programs contributed to "significantly improved" health in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The report said IMF lending requires governments to prioritise short-term economic objectives over investment in health. And the IMF's insistence on decentralised health care made a co-ordinated response difficult.
It said civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone also helped destroy the health systems.
