Three Ebola cases across the Ugandan border and two in Goma, an international city near Rwanda, have heightened the risk that Ebola could spread to crowded urban areas in Africa, the authors wrote. There’s also a potential risk in the U.S., where several Congolese refugees have appeared at the southern border. Yet the U.S. has so far responded with indifference, the authors wrote, providing very little aid.
President Donald Trump’s administration has eliminated the National Security Council’s global health-security portfolio. It planned to take away $252 million in leftover 2014 Ebola funds the day after the new outbreak began but later changed its mind: Congress restored many of the funds. Now, the U.S. is hesitating about whether to grant the DRC a waiver giving it access to tens of millions of dollars for the response.
The World Health Organization announced last week it needs $324 million to fight Ebola over the next six months, which is three times more than it has received so far. The U.S. should ramp up its efforts to fight the disease and provide more funding, the authors wrote. It should also partner with China, the DRC’s largest foreign investor, in providing the aid.
More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:
Sepsis readmissions decrease with home nursing visits, physician follow-up, study finds
Hospitals can review HAC Reduction Program scores until Aug. 16
UNC Children’s in compliance, ‘significantly different’ after heart program concerns, regulators find
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.