$98 Million From US Government for DRC’s Ebola Outbreak

An agency of the United States government announced it is providing more than $98 million to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in response to the ongoing Ebola Zaire outbreak. 

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced on July 2, 2019, that it is providing lifesaving assistance, including infection prevention and control activities, training for health care workers, community engagement interventions, promotion of safe and dignified burials, and food assistance for people and communities affected by Ebola. 

This new USAID financial assistance is also bolstering preparedness efforts in Goma city for communities at risk of the Ebola virus. 

This Ebola outbreak began in August 2018 and presents a unique set of challenges, including insecurity and difficulty earning community acceptance for the response. 

In September 2018, USAID deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART)-comprising disaster and health experts from USAID and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the DRC to coordinate the U.S. Government response to the current Ebola outbreak. 

During June 2019, USAID Administrator Mark Green visited Ebola-affected areas in the DRC to observe programming and response efforts and met brave local community leaders and the health care and partner staff responding to the outbreak.   

In response to the Administrator's dialogue with community leaders and calls for increased transparency, USAID is now providing regular updates on key areas of support to the response. 

As of July 1, 2019, DRC health officials reported at least 2,338 confirmed and probable Ebola cases, including at least 1,571 related deaths. 

A robust, unified response by the Government of the DRC, United Nations, other Great Lake countries, the United States, and the international community in partnership with local communities must occur and is critical to stopping the spread of the disease. 

The United States is the largest bilateral donor to the Ebola response in the DRC.

Recent Ebola news:

• 50% of Ebola ‘Spillover’ Outbreaks Remain Undetected
• No Travel Restrictions for Africa’s Ebola Outbreak
• 3 Additional Ebola Treatments Approved for Uganda

As we continue to scale up our assistance for the Ebola outbreak, we strongly encourage additional contributions from other donors to meet the needs of people affected by this outbreak and bring it under control as soon as possible, said the USAID press release.

USAID is the world's premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID's work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity, demonstrates American generosity, and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience.