Africa’s leading public health agency has raised the estimated funding required to combat the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa to US$1.4 billion, nearly three times higher than an earlier projection, citing worsening humanitarian conditions and the growing scale of the crisis.
The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya, said on Thursday that the revised estimate followed consultations with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government and United Nations agencies.
The outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola has infected more than 1,100 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 20 in neighbouring Uganda, making it the largest first-month spread recorded for this strain of the virus.
The previous funding estimate of US$518 million, announced on June 5 as part of a joint response plan with the World Health Organization (WHO), covered only public health interventions. The revised figure now includes humanitarian assistance needed to support affected communities.
Kaseya said donors had pledged about US$910 million towards the response, but only 13 percent of the promised funds had been disbursed.
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“If we don’t have this US$1.4 billion and if we don’t resolve the humanitarian issue, we will not stop this outbreak,” he said during an online press briefing.
He warned that humanitarian conditions were deteriorating in Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, where conflict and displacement have complicated efforts to contain the virus.
Kaseya also expressed concern over limited access to displacement camps, where Ebola cases have been detected, saying the restrictions were hampering contact tracing and other critical response measures.
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The WHO said on Wednesday that the outbreak continues to outpace containment efforts, warning that insecurity and long-standing mistrust of authorities in the conflict-affected region are making it increasingly difficult for health workers to reach vulnerable populations.
Health officials have repeatedly stressed that rapid financing, expanded surveillance and stronger community engagement are essential to preventing the outbreak from spreading further within the region.
