World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have unveiled a joint emergency response plan worth $518 million to combat the growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and prevent its spread across neighbouring countries.
The six-month intervention, scheduled to run from June through November 2026, is aimed at strengthening efforts to contain the outbreak, which has already claimed dozens of lives and raised concerns across the region.
Although Congolese authorities officially declared the outbreak on May 15, health experts believe the virus had been circulating undetected in parts of northeastern DRC for several weeks before it was identified.
According to the latest data released by the WHO, the outbreak has resulted in 381 confirmed infections and 64 deaths in the DRC.
The disease has affected three provinces in the country’s northeast, with Ituri Province emerging as the hardest-hit area. Africa CDC reported that Ituri accounts for about 90 per cent of all confirmed cases and 76 per cent of the recorded deaths.
The outbreak has also crossed into neighbouring Uganda, where health authorities have confirmed 16 cases and one fatality.
Speaking during a press briefing on Friday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus outlined the priorities of the response strategy.
“The plan focuses on core areas: emergency coordination, surveillance, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control, clinical care, and community engagement,” he said.
“This is a practical plan. It sets out what we need to do now, together, to contain the current outbreak and reduce the risk of further spread.
“It’s a time-bound plan, covering June to November this year,” he said, adding that “it’s a costed plan, at $518 million”.
Health officials noted that the current outbreak has already surpassed the scale of the two previous outbreaks linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which occurred in 2007 and 2012.
The Bundibugyo strain remains particularly challenging for health authorities because there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments available for the variant.
The WHO and Africa CDC say the new funding initiative is expected to enhance disease surveillance, improve treatment capacity, support laboratory services, and boost community awareness efforts as authorities race to halt further transmission of the virus.
Source: AFP
