Key facts
- CDC acting director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya stated there is no evidence that U.S. foreign aid cuts impacted the Ebola response.
- A House Democratic report linked USAID cuts to the rapid spread of the virus.
- The Congo has reported 635 Ebola cases and 127 deaths, while Uganda has 19 cases and two deaths.
- The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which lacks a vaccine, is responsible for the current outbreak.
- The WHO and Africa CDC have launched a $518 million response plan.
- The U.S. implemented travel restrictions for individuals coming from affected countries.
The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that there is no evidence to suggest that cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have negatively impacted the global response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, speaking on NewsNation, affirmed his confidence in the CDC teams addressing the outbreaks of Ebola and Hantavirus, stating he has "never met a more competent, committed group of professionals."
Bhattacharya explicitly denied any link between aid cuts and the ability to manage the outbreaks, stating, "I’ve seen no evidence at all that any cuts that have happened… have impacted our ability to address these outbreaks." This statement contrasts with a report released by Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which cited drastic scaling back of USAID last year as a contributing factor to the rapid spread of the virus. The report claimed that the failure to test, track, isolate, and treat patients was directly linked to the absence of operational USAID and humanitarian assistance programs.
As of Tuesday, health authorities in the Congo had confirmed 635 cases of Ebola and 127 deaths. In Uganda, officials had confirmed 19 cases and two deaths. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the disease, for which there is no vaccine. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, severe weakness, abdominal pain, and nosebleeds.
In response to the outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention launched a six-month plan with a goal of raising $518 million. The U.S. administration has also implemented travel restrictions, barring noncitizens who had been in the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the prior 21 days from entering the country, and implementing screening for returning U.S. citizens. Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge of the WHO advised that European travelers should proceed normally, noting the low risk to the continent, though Bhattacharya suggested unrestricted travel would not be wise.