During the Ebola outbreak there was no epidemic response system at all, rather than one that worked poorly.

Judge as of 2015, with reference to the 2014–2015 West African Ebola outbreak. The claim is that no global epidemic response system existed, as opposed to one that existed but performed poorly. True: authoritative post-Ebola reviews conclude that no functioning global system for epidemic response existed. These include the WHO Ebola Interim Assessment Panel, the Harvard/LSHTM Independent Panel and the UN High-level Panel. Mostly true: the reviews describe the existing mechanisms as so fragmented or unfunded that they effectively did not amount to a system. Mixed: the reviews describe some mechanisms as working and others as missing. Mostly false: the reviews show that real mechanisms existed (IHR 2005, GOARN, WHO emergency response) but failed or responded slowly, so 'no system at all' overstates a real failure. False: the reviews show an established system that functioned reasonably well.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 Critical Choices for the WHO After the Ebola Epidemic JAMA (American Medical Association) · 14 July 2015

   “But the WHO never adopted the committee’s recommendation.”

2. E2 Critical Choices for the WHO After the Ebola Epidemic JAMA (American Medical Association) · 14 July 2015

   “That turned out to be the case with Ebola, as the WHO’s funding appeals took too long to materialize.”

3. E3 Critical Choices for the WHO After the Ebola Epidemic JAMA (American Medical Association) · 14 July 2015

   “Margaret Chan, MD, DSc, director-general of the WHO, announced during the assembly that she plans to combine the existing outbreak and emergency response programs into a single program for health emergencies.”

4. E4 Report of the Ebola Interim Assessment Panel - July 2015 World Health Organization · 1 July 2015

   “WHO issued this roadmap for scaled-up response to the Ebola outbreak. The goal is to stop Ebola transmission in affected countries within 6-9 months and prevent international spread.”

A July 2015 JAMA commentary refers to WHO's "existing outbreak and emergency response programs", which Margaret Chan planned to merge into one programme (E3). It says WHO's Ebola funding appeals "took too long to materialize" (E2) and that WHO never adopted an earlier committee's recommendation (E1). That describes response mechanisms that existed but were slow or fell short, not a total absence of any system, so "no system at all" overstates a real failure. The WHO panel page (E4) does not state the panel's findings on the question, and none of the named review panels' conclusions are in the evidence. The verdict therefore rests mainly on one independent commentary.