UK commits $26.87 million to contain Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo

Britain has pledged up to £20 million ($26.87 million) in aid to help contain the growing Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, supporting WHO and other agencies in surveillance, frontline protection, and infection control.

REUTERS

21 May 2026 at 02:54:29

UK commits $26.87 million to contain Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo

Congolese motorcycle taxi operators ride along a street as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain outbreak, in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 20, 2026.

Gradel Muyisa Mumbere / Reuters

Britain has pledged up to 20 million pounds ($26.87 million) in new aid funding to help contain an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UK Foreign Office announced on Thursday.

As of Wednesday, there have been 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths in Congo. Laboratory tests have confirmed 51 cases in the country, with two additional cases confirmed in neighboring Uganda. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the outbreak is likely to continue growing.

The UK’s funding will support the WHO, United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organizations in enhancing disease surveillance, protecting frontline health workers, and improving infection prevention and control measures.

The UK Health Security Agency is currently assessing the routes by which travelers enter the UK from affected countries. The agency has also activated a program to monitor and safeguard the health of individuals traveling from the UK to the affected areas for work. -Reporting by Carlos Méndez in Mexico City; Editing by Chris Reese/Reuters