U.S. pumps fresh $20m into Ebola fight as outbreak threatens region

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The United States has announced an additional $20 million in funding to strengthen Ebola preparedness and response efforts in Africa, bringing the U.S. Department of State’s direct contribution to the ongoing outbreak to more than $220 million.

The funding, unveiled on Wednesday by the U.S. Department of State, is part of a broader international effort to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and neighbouring countries considered vulnerable to cross-border transmission.

The latest allocation will support preparedness programmes in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and South Sudan, focusing on surveillance, testing, border screening, infection prevention and emergency response systems.

According to the Department, the fresh funding comes in addition to $350 million already provided for Ebola response and humanitarian assistance in the DRC, South Sudan and Uganda as part of the United States’ wider $1.8 billion assistance package announced in May.

“The United States continues to be the largest financial contributor to the Ebola response,” the Department stated.

The U.S. government said the Trump administration remained committed to protecting American citizens while supporting efforts to contain the outbreak at its source.

As part of measures to safeguard Americans living or travelling in affected countries, the Department of State, working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies, has issued guidance for U.S. citizens who may have been exposed to Ebola or who require assistance leaving outbreak-affected areas.

The Department urged Americans abroad to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive real-time health and travel advisories.

The U.S.-funded Ebola response has supported a wide range of interventions across the region, including border surveillance, contact tracing, treatment, laboratory services, community engagement and the supply of critical medical and sanitation materials.

In the DRC, UNICEF has delivered 150 metric tonnes of water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to health facilities in Bunia, enough to meet the immediate needs of about 100,000 people for six months.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has strengthened surveillance efforts by training about 1,000 Village Health Teams in Uganda and conducting more than 30,000 traveller screenings in South Sudan.

U.S.-supported partners have also intensified community awareness campaigns, safe burial programmes and rapid decontamination efforts aimed at breaking chains of transmission in affected communities.

To strengthen diagnosis and treatment, IOM deployed a mobile laboratory to the outbreak zone in Beni, DRC, while humanitarian partners continue to support 100 health facilities, including specialised Ebola treatment centres.

The Department said the additional funding would help countries in the region strengthen emergency operations centres, improve border monitoring and enhance preparedness for any potential Ebola cases.