The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced $107 million in emergency funding to help contain an expanding outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, warning it could become one of the worst on record.
The funding is intended to strengthen surveillance, laboratory capacity, border health controls and community response efforts as health agencies race to limit further spread.
Health officials report that the outbreak, driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has reached 875 confirmed cases and resulted in 202 deaths.
The World Health Organization previously declared the outbreak an international emergency, and experts have warned it could surpass the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic, which caused more than 11,000 deaths.
The scale and pace of transmission have intensified concerns among regional and international health authorities, particularly given the virus’s movement across borders.
Despite large financial pledges, actual disbursement remains limited. African health authorities say that of roughly $910 million pledged globally to support response efforts, less than $90 million has been released.
The African Union has contributed around $80 million, while the United States has positioned itself as the largest single donor, urging other countries to accelerate funding delivery.
Officials warn that delays in financing risk undermining containment efforts in both high-transmission and neighbouring regions.
CDC teams are actively deployed across affected regions, with more than 125 staff working in the DRC and Uganda. This includes epidemiologists, laboratory specialists and public health advisers supporting national health ministries.
Dr Satish Pillai, who is leading the CDC’s Ebola response incident team, said the agency is working on multiple fronts, including improving community acceptance of surveillance measures, supporting safe burial practices, and strengthening diagnostic capacity in laboratories.
The agency is also assisting with preparedness planning in provinces west of the outbreak zone to reduce the risk of wider spread.
In Uganda, CDC teams are supporting border health screening and airport monitoring systems.
Officials emphasised that the risk of Ebola reaching the United States remains low, though contingency plans are in place in the event of an imported case.
The CDC is also coordinating with U.S. cities hosting upcoming major international events, including World Cup-related preparations, to ensure readiness for multiple potential public health threats, including Ebola, measles and heat-related illnesses.
Weekly coordination calls are being held with health authorities in 11 host cities to align preparedness and response planning.
Health experts continue to warn that without faster funding, stronger cross-border coordination and sustained community engagement, the outbreak could expand further across the region.
Efforts are now focused on preventing transmission into neighbouring provinces and strengthening early detection systems before the virus spreads beyond current containment zones.
A Turkish-owned cargo ship was struck by a drone in the Black Sea after leaving a Ukrainian port, in the latest incident to raise concerns over the sa...
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf has promised that the U.S. will “pay the price” following what Iranian authorities said was a...
Russia has extended its ban on exports of gasoline, diesel, marine fuel and gasoil until 31 January 2027, as Moscow seeks to stabilise its domestic fu...
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the strikes as a "powerful response" to Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East a day earlier.
Thousands of migrants have crossed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta from Morocco, overwhelming border security and prompting local authorities to call for a national emergency and military deployment.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto prefecture has risen to 30, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Thursday, as water and power shortages left survivors exposed to extreme summer heat.
Thousands of people spent the night on beaches, waiting by fences or wading through the sea in the hope of reaching Europe, as an estimated 49,000 migrants crossed into Spain's enclave of Ceuta in just 24 hours.
Carlos Cordeiro, senior adviser to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, has resigned with immediate effect in protest over proposals to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup, calling the plan "a bad deal for football."
Ukraine targeted a warehouse belonging to Russia’s largest retailer, Wildberries, and an oil refinery overnight, while Moscow said its forces struck a ship carrying military cargo in the Black Sea.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 31st of July, covering the latest developments.
At least 18 coal miners have been killed and 14 others remain trapped after a powerful methane gas explosion caused part of a mining complex to collapse in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, officials said on Thursday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment