The Department of State, in coordination with the CDC and Congress, said it intends to provide an additional $242 million in funding for the Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of Congo and surrounding areas.
The U.S. is the largest financial contributor to the Ebola response, with more than $512 million committed to supporting outbreak response efforts, according to an Aug. 5 department news release. To date, the U.S. has supported 8.6 million health screenings across affected and at-risk countries; reached more than 1 million people with risk communications; supported more than 180 health facilities and contributed to the direct operation of 12 specialized Ebola isolation and treatment facilities; distributed nearly 300 metric tons of critical supplies; and strengthened diagnostic capacity at 11 operational labs in the region.
“While the trajectory of the outbreak in the DRC remains concerning, the United States commends Uganda for swift and decisive action to respond to the outbreak and limit the spread of Ebola,” the release said.
Here are six other updates to know.
1. The State Department is providing financial assistance loans to support U.S. citizens affected by the “do not board” restrictions and need to change their travel plans. Loan recipients repay the funds after returning to the U.S., according to the release.
2. The department’s travel advisory for Congo, Uganda and South Sudan remains at level 4: do not travel.
“The Department of State continues to work closely with the CDC, the lead federal agency for this response, to mobilize our global resources in support of this outbreak response, while putting the protection of Americans and preventing Ebola from reaching the American homeland first,” the release said.
3. New cases are doubling in some hot spots almost three months into the outbreak, Tedros Ghebreyesus, PhD, director-general of the World Health Organization, said in a post on X.
“We all agree that we must urgently and massively scale up all our efforts across all pillars of the response and by all partners,” Dr. Ghebreyesus said.
4. Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, is still grappling with many frontline workers who have gone on strike due to lack of pay. Some workers report they have started receiving pay in the last week for work done since the outbreak began, and are demanding improved wages, ABC News reported.
5. The outbreak is still “spreading at an alarming and unprecedented rate,” Doctors Without Borders said in a news release shared with Becker’s Aug. 5. “The response is expanding but is still not reaching communities quickly enough to break transmission chains.”
6. Meanwhile, the U.S. is still grappling with an outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has now spread to 15 states and sickened tens of thousands. The CDC confirmed cases are expanding due to people eating iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell or recalled Taylor Farms de Mexico, the FDA reported in an Aug. 5 update.
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