and collaborating on research initiatives. This kind of initiative avoids the wasteful duplication of eff ort, and should be reproduced for other medical humanitarian emergencies. The Ebola response shows the need for new global mechanisms to be established that can rapidly mobilise all experts who can bring relevant local contextual, medical, epidemiological, and political information on global health emergencies. Now is the time to consider how to bring social science into the centre of future pandemic surveillance, response, community preparedness, and health system strengthening. 4 This will take will, vision, and systematic engagement of our full capabilities and expertise. We declare no competing interests.