CDC to tap $107m in emergency funding for Ebola response in DRC and Uganda
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will allocate $107 million in emergency funds to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, as the third-largest outbreak on record nears 1,000 confirmed cases.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it will tap $107 million in emergency funding to respond to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The decision comes as the outbreak becomes the third largest on record and coincides with the FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the US, attracting global visitors.
Dr. Satish K Pillai, CDC's Ebola response incident manager, stated during a Thursday briefing that the DRC is approaching 1,000 confirmed cases across 31 health zones, with 31 cases in Kampala, Uganda. As of June 15, the DRC had 837 confirmed cases and Uganda had 19, with a total of 198 deaths across both countries.
Additionally, an outbreak of Bundibugyo viral disease (BVD), a rare zoonotic species of Ebola causing hemorrhagic fever, began about a month ago along the western border of the DRC and eastern border of Uganda. BVD has killed between 30% and 50% of those infected in recent outbreaks in Congo and Uganda.
International Response and Concerns
African health officials warn the outbreak could become the worst on record and take a year to contain at current infection rates. While the risk within the DRC and Uganda is high, the global risk is low because the disease spreads through direct contact with blood, bodily secretions, and contaminated surfaces, unlike airborne diseases.
The US is one of 22 countries that have imposed travel restrictions on people from these nations, which have been criticized as hindering the response. Containment efforts are also hampered by mistrust, shortages of personal protective equipment, and vehicles to transport dead bodies.
The CDC currently has 23 field staff supporting disease investigations and 125 staff members across the DRC and Uganda. CDC staff hold twice-weekly calls with US World Cup host cities. The emergency funding adds to the roughly $910 million already pledged to combat the Ebola outbreak, of which less than 10% has been received from donors, according to African health leaders.
