Photo taken on May 18, 2015 shows a view of the 68th session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland. The 68th session of the WHA would focus on the discussion of Ebola outbreaks and the post-2015 health agenda. [Photo: Xinhua]

The World Health Organization has announced the establishment of a new fund to deal with future pandemics.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan says the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has taught them a valuable lesson.

"With the support of Member States, I am establishing a $100 million dollar contingency fund, financed by flexible voluntary contributions, to ensure we have the necessary resources available to immediately mount an initial response."

The World Health Organization is also setting up a new program to deal specifically with pandemic-related emergencies.

The organization has been criticized for a relatively slow response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

The virus first began spreading in Guinea in December 2013.

However, it wasn't declared an international public health emergency until the following August.

It's estimated some 12-thousand people have died from the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.