Key facts
- The U.S. State Department is increasing Ebola response funding by $242 million.
- The total U.S. Ebola response funding in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now $512 million.
- Officials describe the outbreak as the fastest-spreading on record.
- The outbreak is hampered by delayed detection and conflict.
- Health workers at the outbreak's epicenter are protesting unpaid wages and bonuses.
- The health workers' protests began in mid-May.
- The protests are disrupting care and threatening containment efforts.
- Protesting workers include those treating patients and conducting surveillance.
The United States is significantly increasing its financial commitment to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the U.S. State Department announcing an additional $242 million in funding, bringing the total U.S. contribution to $512 million. This escalation in aid is a direct response to the critical and rapidly spreading nature of the epidemic. U.S. officials have characterized the current outbreak as the fastest-spreading on record, attributing its severity to a combination of factors including delayed detection of cases and ongoing conflict in the region.