US pledges $267 million more to fight Ebola in central Africa

Key facts

• The US State Department pledged an additional $267 million to fight Ebola in central Africa.
• The funding was announced on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
• The target for global funds to deal with the disease is $2 billion.
• The Ebola outbreak was detected in May and is the second most lethal on record.
• The US commitment to tackling the outbreak now totals $886 million.
• The assistance will help countries contain the outbreak at its source.

The US State Department announced on Wednesday a pledge of an additional $267 million to combat the Ebola outbreak in central Africa, with a focus on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where officials expressed hope for further international funding towards a $2 billion target to manage the disease.

The current Ebola outbreak, detected in May, is already the second deadliest on record, surpassed only by the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. This latest pledge increases the Trump administration's total commitment to $886 million, which includes $107 million from the Department of Health and Human Services, in addition to the State Department's contributions. The aid is intended to support containment efforts at the source, including the construction of treatment facilities and the provision of diagnostics and medical supplies for health workers.