Key facts
- Britain pledged an additional £50 million to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- This new funding increases the UK's total contribution to £78 million.
- The funds will support disease surveillance, healthcare workers, infection control, and community outreach.
- British public health experts have been deployed to assist in the response.
- The outbreak is the second-largest and fastest-spreading on record, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
Britain has pledged an additional £50 million to support efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where confirmed cases have surpassed 6,000. This new funding brings the UK's total contribution to the response to £78 million.
The funds will be used to bolster disease surveillance, support frontline health workers, improve access to treatment, enhance infection control, and facilitate community outreach and safe burials. British public health experts have been deployed to the region to aid these efforts.
Kirsty McNeill, Britain's Minister for Africa, stated that the response is being accelerated to match the scale of the challenge. The epidemic, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, is the second-largest and fastest-spreading on record, with no approved vaccines or treatments available for this specific strain.
International Development Secretary Rory Stewart highlighted the critical need for a global response, noting that funding is insufficient and urging other countries, particularly G7 nations, to increase their contributions. He emphasized that investing now is crucial to prevent greater costs later. The UK has consistently provided financial, technical, and political backing to the DRC government, the WHO, and NGOs since the outbreak began.
The outbreak is described as the most complex public health emergency in recent history, being the second largest ever and the first to occur in a conflict zone, which contributes to community mistrust. Response efforts have been continually hampered by violent attacks on health workers and facilities by armed groups. Maternal deaths in affected regions have nearly doubled, with women comprising over half of new cases due to their traditional caregiving roles and disproportionate representation in healthcare professions.