UN and Africa CDC Allocate Over $60 Million to Combat Ebola Outbreak

The United Nations and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) are allocating over $60 million to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

"I am allocating approximately $60 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to accelerate response efforts in the DRC and the region as a whole. We need to get ahead of the Ebola outbreak. These are challenging conditions for life-saving operations. We are facing conflict and high population mobility," said UN head Tom Fletcher.

In turn, the Africa CDC announced the allocation of $1 million in financial support to bolster emergency response operations and has deployed an eight-person multidisciplinary team to the Ebola-affected Ituri province.

The Africa CDC also commended the dedication of frontline healthcare workers for their "commitment to ending the outbreak and protecting populations."

Earlier in May, Uganda's Ministry of Health temporarily suspended flights to and from neighboring DRC due to the Ebola outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the new Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern. DRC authorities have reported 177 deaths from the disease and over 750 suspected cases.

In response to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, authorities in Zambia, Burundi, Tanzania, and Rwanda have announced measures to combat the infection.

Ebola is a severe, acute viral disease with a high fatality rate. Transmission occurs through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected individuals, as well as with contaminated surfaces and materials.