US CDC activates $107 million in emergency funding for Ebola response

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday it will release $107 million in emergency funding to strengthen domestic and international efforts to respond to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

The agency said it currently has 23 field staff deployed to support epidemiological investigations and assist the Congolese health ministry. Overall, more than 125 CDC personnel are working across the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda on outbreak response operations, according to CDC incident manager Dr. Satish Pillai.

A month after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, infections linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain have risen to 875 confirmed cases, including 202 deaths. Health officials have warned that the outbreak could become the worst Ebola epidemic on record, potentially surpassing the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people.

Despite rising needs, less than 10% of pledged international assistance has been disbursed, according to Africa’s top public health body. Donors have committed about $910 million in total support, including $80 million from African Union member states, but fewer than $90 million has been released to affected countries so far, an Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention official said.

The United States said it remains the largest donor to the response and has urged other countries to increase contributions.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, CDC teams are supporting community engagement efforts to improve acceptance of surveillance, isolation, and safe burial practices. They are also assisting with assessments at points of entry and providing technical support to laboratories conducting diagnostic testing.

“Critically, we’re also working with the government of the DRC to support preparedness in provinces immediately west of the outbreak zone to contain the spread of the outbreak,” Pillai said.

In Uganda, response teams are focused on border health measures, including airport screening assessments and other entry-point controls.

Officials said the risk to the United States remains low, but the CDC is preparing for the unlikely event of an imported case.

The agency’s World Cup preparedness team is also coordinating closely with Ebola response units. Officials said they are holding twice-weekly calls with health authorities in 11 U.S. host cities to monitor potential public health threats, including Ebola, measles, and heat-related illnesses. -Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; Additional reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru and Christian Martinez in Los Angeles; Editing by Devika Syamnath and Bill Berkrot/Reuters