WHO and Africa CDC launch $518 million plan to curb Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda

The World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced a $518 million emergency response plan on Friday to address the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The programme, scheduled to run through November, will fund coordination, surveillance, testing, infection‑prevention measures, clinical care and community outreach.

The DRC Ministry of Health reported 71 new confirmed cases in a 24‑hour period, raising the national total to at least 452 infections and 82 deaths. Uganda added three cases, bringing its count to 19 confirmed infections and two fatalities.

"We are catching up with the virus, but it had a significant head start," WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, adding that blanket travel bans could undermine transparency and hamper response efforts.

In Kenya, a high court temporarily suspended a proposed 50‑bed quarantine facility intended for U.S. citizens potentially exposed to the virus, citing public‑health concerns. The plan, supported by the Kenyan president, had faced protests near the proposed site at Laikipia Air Base, where two individuals were reported killed during a demonstration. Some U.S. health experts have also expressed criticism of the facility.

The emergency response plan aims to strengthen containment efforts as both countries work to control the spread of Ebola.