The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has launched a US$319 million funding appeal to contain a growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, warning that delays in financing could accelerate cross-border transmission across the region.
The six-month emergency plan, covering June to November 2026, will support treatment, surveillance, and border screening operations, while also strengthening preparedness in at least 11 high-risk African Union member states.
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak, driven by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, is spreading in insecure and resource-constrained areas, making containment significantly more difficult.
Officials warned that without urgent funding and coordinated intervention, the situation could escalate into one of the most serious epidemics since the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak.
The agency said nearly US$500 million has already been pledged or committed by governments, multilateral institutions and humanitarian partners, though verification and allocation of those funds is still ongoing.
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Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said the next phase of the response will focus on validating pledges and ensuring resources are directed to priority interventions through coordinated incident management systems.
“We are entering a critical phase where speed and coordination will determine outcomes,” Kaseya said in a statement, adding that response efforts must be tightly managed to prevent further spread.
The outbreak has also drawn concern from the World Health Organization, which said it has released $3.9 million from its emergency contingency fund to support immediate response operations.
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WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said health authorities are responding to what he described as a rapidly expanding outbreak linked to delayed detection in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
“We know this virus, and we know how to stop it,” he said, while cautioning that conditions could worsen before they improve.
The African Union Commission also raised concern about structural weaknesses in health systems across affected regions, including gaps in surveillance, laboratory capacity, and emergency response infrastructure.
Officials highlighted that insecurity, population displacement, and attacks on health facilities in eastern Congo are further complicating containment efforts.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is responsible for the current outbreak, has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, increasing reliance on rapid detection, isolation, and contact tracing as the primary tools for containment.
Health experts warn that the combination of weak health systems, difficult terrain, and ongoing insecurity could allow the virus to spread more widely if emergency funding and logistical support are not scaled up quickly.
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The appeal underscores growing concern among African and global health authorities that early intervention will be critical in preventing broader regional transmission across Central and East Africa.
