The World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention are partnering to launch a $518 million emergency response to the Ebola outbreak.
Though the WHO had estimated that there were fewer cases than previously thought, the new joint plan acknowledges that efforts to stop the outbreak are accelerating, as the number of cases has continued to increase.
The six-month plan follows a “One-Response” approach to the outbreak. This means all partner organizations will follow the same guidelines when managing the outbreak in matters of emergency coordination, research, and engagement. The emergency response will be in place until November and complements national emergency response plans launched by the Congo and Uganda.
Both countries are at the epicenter of the current outbreak, with 101 confirmed deaths in the Congo and two confirmed deaths in Uganda, according to a CDC update released June 8. More than 94% of recorded cases are centered within the Congolese province of Ituri, an area already struggling with poverty and political violence.
The current Ebola outbreak stems from the virus’s Bundibugyo strain, and while vaccines are in development, there are no approved drugs yet targeting it. This strain has a fatality rate between 25-50%.
“The only way to beat this outbreak is through close partnership, working together under the leadership of the affected countries in one coordinated effort, guided by a simple principle: one plan, one budget, one team,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, said in the announcement.
“Containing Ebola depends on political commitment, sustained financing, and the trust and engagement of communities,” Tedros continued. “This plan places communities at the centre, because without their participation, contact tracing falters, safe care is delayed, and transmission continues.”
The State Department announced Friday that it is mobilizing a rapid response against the outbreak, including border screening, diagnostic supplies, food assistance, and other partner activities.
“Today, the Department is announcing nearly $38 million in additional funding toward the Department’s ongoing Ebola response efforts, bringing the total direct funding for the Department of State’s Ebola response to more than $200 million,” the announcement reads. “The United States continues to be the largest financial contributor to the Ebola response.”
The U.S. issued a warning about the outbreak on May 29 and instructed U.S. citizens who have traveled to affected regions to enter via designated airports for “enhanced” screening.
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A recent Axios report found that senior Trump officials are worried about how other European nations have responded to the outbreak.
U.S. officials said European countries are being overly lax on travel restrictions during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and fear the event’s large and international crowd could accelerate the spread of Ebola. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted across North America, with matches in major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami.