WHO Launches $518M Plan to Contain Deadly Ebola Outbreak in Congo

The WHO has launched a $518 million plan to help Congo and Uganda contain a fast-spreading Ebola outbreak, which has already caused hundreds of cases, amid funding gaps, delayed testing, and security and community resistance challenges.

The World Health Organization chief has announced a $518 million six-month joint plan to combat Ebola, urging urgent funding and strong political commitment to stop an outbreak already ranked as the fourth largest on record. The strategy aims to support the Democratic Republic of Congo in containing their outbreaks, while also helping other countries prepare for possible cases through measures such as enhanced border screening, according to the WHO and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The outbreak is moving fast and we are still playing catch-up,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, adding that containing Ebola requires political commitment, sustained financing and trust in community engagement.

MANY CHALLENGES

The Africa CDC said the epidemic went undetected for weeks, leaving health authorities behind and struggling to bring it under control.

So far, there have been 381 confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 62 confirmed deaths, according to Africa CDC. Uganda has recorded 19 cases and two deaths.

The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved treatment or vaccine.

“This outbreak is very serious. If you compare with previous Bundibugyo outbreaks, this is the most serious Bundibugyo outbreak we have,” Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said. He added that donors have so far pledged $315.8 million toward the response, down from an initial $498 million after some “corrected” their figures, without giving further details.

The Africa CDC announced Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, and the WHO soon after declared it a public health emergency of international concern.

Testing has also been a challenge, as commonly used Ebola tests initially failed to detect the Bundibugyo strain, while delays continue in obtaining results.

“It’s taking several days to a week or more, and that’s frustrating,” said Franklin Graham, president of the Christian aid group Samaritan’s Purse, which is working in Congo’s Ituri province. Mistrust and resistance have also hindered the response, with attacks on burial teams and treatment centres reported.

Highlighting security risks, the WHO said on Friday it had received three armoured vehicles from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo.