The U.S. Department of State says it is stepping up its response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, working alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help contain the virus and prevent it from spreading further.
On May 27, the department approved an additional $80 million in aid for response efforts, bringing total U.S. support to more than $112 million in less than two weeks. The funding is going toward basic outbreak control measures like protective gear for health workers, screening at borders, contact tracing, and improved testing.
The money is being distributed through international partners, including the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Programme, and the International Organization for Migration, which are helping with supplies, border health checks, and monitoring the spread of cases. Other groups such as World Vision and FHI 360 are assisting with tracing contacts and improving testing capacity on the ground.
In addition to the new funding, the State Department is putting $50 million toward new Ebola treatment clinics and is directing hundreds of millions more in humanitarian funding to the region through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Officials say teams are already working in hospitals and treatment centers across affected areas to strengthen care and containment efforts.
Read the State Department Press Release
