The assistance is coming late. In March MSF warned that with cases scattered over Guinea—and uncontained in remote locations, as during previous outbreaks—the world was facing an unprecedented urban epidemic of Ebola. By 23rd June the virus had spread to more than 60 places across west Africa. At this point MSF, not to mention local health authorities, were at the limits of what they could cope with. The epidemic was out of control, warned MSF. Yet the WHO did not declare the situation an international public-health emergency until August.