Key facts
- CDC is allocating $107 million in emergency funding for Ebola response in DRC and Uganda.
- Ebola cases have surged 38% in the past week, with over 900 confirmed infections reported.
- The outbreak is considered the worst at this stage compared to previous ones.
- Containment efforts are hindered by remoteness, funding shortages, and displacement.
- Experimental treatments are under development, but current needs for personnel and released funds are unmet.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is allocating $107 million in emergency funding to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The outbreak is considered the worst at this stage, with cases surging 38 percent in the past week across 32 health zones in eastern Congo. The current outbreak has seen 894 confirmed cases, significantly more than Uganda's previous outbreak in 2000. Eastern Congo's Ituri province accounts for over 90 percent of confirmed cases, with infections also spreading to neighboring Uganda. Efforts to contain the virus are hampered by the remoteness of affected areas, shortages in funding and personnel, and displacement of people due to conflict. Experimental treatments are in development, but the Africa CDC faces significant shortfalls in deployed personnel and released funds compared to needs and pledges.