WASHINGTON, USA – The United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced an additional $8 million in assistance to support the rapid response to the Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Guinea, and to strengthen Ebola preparedness in seven high-risk border countries across East Africa and West Africa (République de Côte D’Ivoire, Republic of Liberia, Republic of Mali, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Senegal, Republic of Sierra Leone, and Republic of Uganda).
The additional $8 million brings USAID’s total assistance to more than $11.5 million since the outbreaks began in early February 2021.
USAID assistance is supporting disease surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory and diagnostics testing, and the establishment of Ebola treatment and transit centers; strengthening infection prevention and control in major health facilities, including hygiene promotion, triage and isolation; providing training to health care workers; and promoting risk communication and community engagement activities. USAID has also extended the work of humanitarian partners who participated in previous Ebola outbreaks in DRC.
USAID’s funding is part of a whole-of-US government response to the current Ebola outbreaks which incorporates lessons learned from past outbreaks. The United States continues to coordinate response efforts with the ministries of health in DRC, Guinea, and neighboring countries, as well as local, regional, and multilateral partners to ensure efforts are well integrated and aligned with each country’s Ebola response plan. Infectious disease outbreaks do not respect national boundaries and can spread rapidly jeopardizing the health, security, and prosperity of every country. USAID is proud to contribute to these response efforts that ultimately help protect the American people.