The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a six-month emergency response plan worth $518 million to combat the ongoing Ebola outbreak, urging governments and international partners to provide both financial support and political backing to contain the disease.
Announcing the initiative jointly with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the strategy will run from June through November and is designed to strengthen efforts to curb the rapidly spreading outbreak.
“The outbreak is advancing quickly, and response efforts are struggling to keep pace,” Tedros said, emphasizing that effective containment will require sustained funding, strong political leadership, and community engagement.
According to Africa CDC, the outbreak went undetected for several weeks, allowing the virus to spread before health authorities could mount a full-scale response. As a result, officials are now working to regain control of the situation.
To date, Congo has reported 381 confirmed Ebola cases and 62 deaths. The outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment currently exists.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya described the situation as the most severe outbreak ever recorded involving the Bundibugyo strain. He noted that donors have so far pledged $315.8 million toward response efforts, although it remains unclear whether those funds will be directed toward the newly announced six-month plan.
The current outbreak, Congo’s 17th Ebola epidemic, was officially declared by Africa CDC on May 15. Shortly afterward, the WHO classified it as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, highlighting the growing global concern surrounding the outbreak.
