NAIROBI, Kenya—The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $13 million in emergency funding to support efforts to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and strengthen preparedness in neighboring Uganda and South Sudan.
The financing comes as health authorities intensify measures to prevent the spread of the virus following the outbreak, which was declared in eastern DRC in May and has since expanded to additional provinces.
According to the Bank, $10 million will be channeled through the World Health Organisation (WHO) to support emergency response activities in the DRC, while an additional $3 million will be implemented through the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) under a regional emergency assistance programme covering the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan.
The DRC, which remains at the centre of the outbreak, will receive $11 million, while Uganda and South Sudan will each receive $1 million to strengthen surveillance and preparedness against cross-border transmission.
The funding will support early case detection, laboratory diagnosis, disease surveillance, community engagement, public awareness campaigns and regional coordination aimed at containing the outbreak and reducing deaths.
“This emergency support reflects the African Development Bank Group’s commitment to protecting lives, strengthening health systems and preventing the spread of the epidemic across the region,” said Mohamed Cherif, the Bank’s Deputy Director General for Central Africa and Country Manager for the DRC.
Health officials say the latest outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment, making rapid detection and containment critical.
The latest outbreak was first reported in Ituri Province on May 15 before spreading to parts of North Kivu and South Kivu, prompting heightened surveillance in neighboring countries.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced several Ebola outbreaks over the past two decades, with its eastern provinces remaining particularly vulnerable due to population movements and challenges in accessing healthcare. Uganda and South Sudan have also strengthened border surveillance and public health preparedness because of their close proximity to affected areas and the risk of cross-border transmission.
