Africa CDC Says $2.9 Billion Mobilised for Ebola Response
About $2.9 billion has been mobilised for the Ebola response across Africa, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said, as the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to expand.
The funding was announced following a G20+ Foreign Ministers’ meeting convened by the United States on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Africa CDC said about $700 million was announced in connection with the meeting.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said the funding would support diagnostics, medical countermeasures, treatment, humanitarian assistance, surveillance and other emergency-response activities.
The United States is the largest contributor, with about $887 million mobilised, followed by the European Union with $568 million and the World Bank with more than $433 million, according to Africa CDC.
Kaseya welcomed the international support but stressed that financial pledges must be converted quickly into actual spending on the ground. He also called for transparent tracking of the funds from commitments through disbursement and implementation.
The funding comes as the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola continues to spread in the DRC. As of September 21, the country had recorded 7,773 confirmed cases and 3,759 related deaths, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Africa CDC said the outbreak is slowing in Ituri province but accelerating in North Kivu, where insecurity is complicating efforts to reach affected communities.
The current outbreak was declared in May and is the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak. The World Health Organization has warned that continued transmission and geographical expansion pose a risk of further regional spread.
