The key facts

  • Two-thirds of the ~$2.9 billion pledged to fight Ebola have not yet been disbursed — Africa CDC
  • The Bundibugyo strain outbreak has for the first time spread across three African regions: the DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria
  • In the DR Congo, according to the authorities, more than 5,000 people have died amid more than 10,000 confirmed cases

Promised funds have not yet reached the response

Two-thirds of the funds pledged by international partners to fight the Ebola outbreak in Africa have not yet been disbursed. This warning was issued on Monday by the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya, who called for urgent action to contain the rapidly spreading outbreak. According to Africa CDC data published in September, international partners pledged about $2.9 billion in cash and in-kind assistance.

The outbreak has for the first time spread across three regions

“This outbreak reminds us that health security is shared. For the first time, Ebola has reached three African regions. And yet two-thirds of the promised funds for the response have still not been disbursed,” Kaseya wrote on the X platform. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus strain and has affected four countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.

The situation in the DR Congo

In the DR Congo, according to government figures released on Saturday, the death toll has exceeded 5,000 people, with more than 10,000 confirmed cases. Kaseya warned that “every day of delay puts new families and frontline health workers at risk,” and noted that Africa CDC is working with African leaders to ensure safe access for medical teams, especially in areas affected by conflict.