U.S. injects fresh $38m into Ebola fight as outbreak response intensifies

The United States has announced an additional $38 million in funding to bolster efforts to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa, bringing the U.S. State Department’s direct contribution to the response to more than $200 million.

The fresh funding, announced on Friday by the U.S. Department of State, forms part of a broader international effort involving the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan, where health authorities continue to battle the deadly disease.

According to the State Department, the latest allocation is separate from the $350 million already committed for Ebola response and humanitarian assistance in the affected countries under the U.S. government’s wider $1.8 billion contribution to United Nations humanitarian operations announced in May.

“The United States continues to be the largest financial contributor to the Ebola response,” the department said in a statement.

As part of efforts to prevent the outbreak from spreading beyond the region, U.S. authorities said they were working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foreign governments and international partners to protect American citizens and strengthen containment measures.

The State Department also unveiled a voluntary assistance programme for U.S. citizens who may have been exposed to Ebola or wish to leave affected countries during the outbreak.

On the ground, U.S.-funded organisations are supporting a wide range of interventions, including contact tracing, border screening, disease surveillance, public awareness campaigns, treatment services and emergency humanitarian assistance.

In Uganda, more than 100 health screeners and data personnel have been deployed at key entry points to strengthen disease detection and monitoring, while in the DRC, airports and health facilities have received critical infection prevention equipment, sanitation supplies and diagnostic tools.

International aid agencies backed by U.S. funding are also conducting extensive community education campaigns to combat misinformation surrounding Ebola transmission and prevention.

Officials said hundreds of thousands of people have already been reached through awareness programmes in churches, markets and health centres across affected communities.

Healthcare workers remain a major focus of the intervention. Thousands of frontline responders, including health workers, sanitation personnel, teachers, religious leaders and community volunteers, are undergoing specialised training on Ebola detection, prevention and patient management.

In addition, humanitarian agencies are providing food assistance to Ebola patients, caregivers, contacts and medical personnel working in treatment and isolation centres.