Epistemologies of Ebola: reflections on the experience of the Ebola Response Anthropology Platform

This social thought &; commentary piece explores how the Ebola Response Anthropology Platform developed and interacted with other epistemic communities to produce knowledge and policy over the course of the outbreak. Reflecting on the experiences of working with the UK Department for International Development, the World Health Organization, and other agencies, the paper asks:

• What do these experiences reveal about the politics of (expert) knowledge and its influence on the design and implementation of policy?
• Did differing conceptions of the place of anthropology in humanitarian crises by policymakers and practitioners shape the contributions made by the Ebola Response Anthropology Platform?
• What are the implications of these experiences for future anthropological engagement with, and research on, humanitarian responses to health crises?